Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny
by elphyandfiyero
Summary: When two girls are given rare Vongola rings, they are sent to train the Vongola Guardians. Including the tenth. But what happens when one of the girls falls in love with the Sun Guardian? Can she help him train or will her love get in the way?
1. Chapter 1: Shrimp

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny {Prologue}

Do you ever wonder what would happen if you were put in a situation you didn't want to be in? I'm not just talking about helping your friend hook up with that one guy that you, just so happen, to have a crush on. What I'm talking about is something more than that. Allow me to explain my story.

My name is Mizushama Sayomi and I am the fourth daughter of Mizushama Kioshi; Mafia boss of the Lunisola family. My father has taught me everything I know; from kick boxing, defending myself to even teaching me how to use everything around me to my advantage in a fight. The only thing he was never able to teach me was how to be a girl. It was hard for my sisters and me. I never had any brothers and our mother just up and left us when I was eight, leaving my father to raise us five girls. Our youngest sister was just barely a few months old.

Currently, I was outside in the backyard under the shade with my mind on other things. I never fully understood what it was about the shade that helped me concentrate so much. Sometimes, I even found it better if it was night time and the moon was full. But, seeing as how it was still daylight, I had no other choice but to have the next best thing.

"Sayomi," My sister Niriko called from the porch. "Father wants to talk to you in his office." I nodded and walked inside. I was suddenly becoming nervous. Normally, father didn't want any of us to disturb him as he resided in his study. The only exception was for emergencies or to call upon him when dinner was ready. But to be called to his office was something different. I recalled the last time I was asked to go to his office. It was only a few years ago. At the time, I was twelve years old.

_For several months, I had noticed my father seemed distracted by something. A few times at dinner, he would just watch me as if trying to make a final decision on something. Gently, I knocked on his door. "Come in," my father's voice sighed. I could hear papers ruffling on his desk. "Ah, Sayomi. Perfect timing." He smiled at me. His smile always gave me confidence. His smile was warm, soft and made his eyes light up. _

_"Please, come in and close the door. I have something for you." I closed the door but I didn't understand why he would have a gift for me. My birthday wasn't for a few more months and Christmas just a few months after that. But I did as he asked. I approached his desk and stopped in front of it as if I was about to be sentenced for detention in the principal's office. My father chuckled and walked around the desk where he leaned against it in front of me. He gestured for me to sit and I did so. _

_"Sayomi, do you know what I have called you in here?" Slowly, I shook my head. He placed his hand in his pocket but kept it there for a moment as he continued. "I've been watching you grow and have come to find that you are the only one suited for this. The ninth thinks so as well." I felt my heart drop to my stomach. The _Ninth Vongola Boss?_ Now this wasn't making any sense at all. _

_I said nothing, afraid I was coming to the wrong conclusion. My first thought was that I was going to be the Tenth Boss but that was unlikely. I was only twelve. They would have trained me long ago if that were true. _

_I kept my eyes on my father as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. This time he was holding something. A small velvet box with the Vongola crest. I only knew it to mean that I was going to become a Guardian. Protector of the Vongola family. Gently, my father opened the box to reveal a ring I had never seen before. I knew about the other rings but this one had to be undiscovered. _

_"The Ninth has kept this ring since he became boss. It goes all the way back to the First. This is the Moon Guardian ring. So far, no one has been able to find someone worthy enough to possess this ring. Vongola Bosses have searched but they have all failed until now. When the Ninth saw you sparring with me last Christmas, that's when he knew. He saw something that I couldn't but I've watched you and now I know you're ready for this." He took the ring out of the box and placed it on my finger. A silver flame erupted from the stone in the middle. The crescent moon symbol glowed along with the fire. I thought the flame to be warm but it was cool. Like a cool breeze underneath a full moon. _

_"Just as I thought." My father smiled and folded his arms. "The Tenth said that, if you were the one, it would show it. And if that's not a confirmation, I don't know what is." I embraced my father in a hug. It didn't matter that it was from the Tenth and it was my destiny. _

_"Thank you, father." What mattered was that _he,_ my father, had given it to me as a gift. Any gift from my father was worth receiving. He wrapped his giant arms around me and hugged me tightly. _

_"You're welcome, Sayo." _

The ringstill rested on my finger the same way as it had that first day. My sisters weren't really jealous. Instead, they were happy for me. They knew their destiny was different from mine. I didn't know how different until I finally walked in that room.

"Right on time." My father said but this time he wasn't smiling. Something had to have been wrong. Either that or, whatever he was going to tell me was going to be one of the toughest decisions of his life. He gestured for me to sit and I did. "Sayomi, this is very hard for me to say."

"Is this about what happened at school because the kid had it coming." I argued, thinking this was about the fight from school.

"What? No, this isn't about the fight." My father rubbed his temples to try and calm his nerves.

"Do you want some tea, father? It might help." He shook his head at my offer and sat up straight. It was now or never to deliver the news.

"I spoke with the Ninth today. It seems he has found the Tenth Vongola." My eyes went wide as I continued to listen. "As the Moon Guardian, you are required to train him and the other Guardians for an upcoming battle. His name is Tsunayoshi Sawada and he attends Namimori Middle School. Now what I am about to tell you must not leave this room. You must not discuss it with anyone but Miharu after she finds out from her mother." I nodded and paid close attention. My father was never a man to repeat himself. You either got it the first time or you didn't.

Almost an hour later, I walked out of the room and went to pack my bags. I was heading to Japan to meet up with the Tenth and train. But I wasn't sure about the battle they were supposed to face. I knew what it was going to be for but I didn't know with whom. That, as my father stated, would be revealed in time.

I began placing my clothes in my suitcase but I knew someone was behind me. And I knew _exactly_ who that was. "Don't even think about." I said and Miharu exhaled a deep breath. She sat on my bed with a disappointed face.

"How do you do that? I try and detect my brother's but they always scare me." Nakashima Miharu has been my best friend since the beginning of our days. Her baggy shirt, torn jeans and sneakers just screamed that she was raised by a bunch of boys. When she was real young, her father died and her mother raised her children the only way she knew how. As boys, including Miharu.

"Because you've tried so many times that it's so easy to know when you're there." I walked in the bathroom and began to drag out my bathroom stuff. "So I take it you're all packed?"

"And I take it you've heard about everything?" I nodded and I knew she was excited. Meeting the Tenth was always a dream of hers. In her mind, the Tenth was this great fighter who she wanted to train with. In her mind, he was someone strong and noble. Fierce and a tyrant. In fact, I had the same thought but her imagination always ran away with her mouth. "I can't wait to meet him. Just think, in a matter of hours, I'll be sparring with the Tenth. Isn't that great?!" I laughed and finished packing.

Like me, Miharu was given a Guardian ring around the same time I was given mine. The only difference is that she has the Wind Guardian ring. Together both of us are the only ones to ever possess such rare rings and now we were being sent on a mission to watch, protect and train the Tenth as well as the other Guardians.

The plane ride there seemed almost a day. When we got there, we figured that the Tenth would be there but he wasn't. Then again, I didn't really think he knew we were coming. It was our job to seek him out and find him at Namimori Middle School. We didn't even know where to start. But, somehow, we were able to find a place to stay as well as get our uniforms for school. And, in no time, it was our first day of school. We walked down the street that would take us to Namimori Middle School. Miharu continued to tug at her dress.

"Do we _have_ to go to a new school?" Miharu whined. She was never a fan of school, no matter which country.

"Yes," I smiled. "We have to meet the Tenth Vongola boss and become allies with his family. Not to mention, we have a mission to fulfill from the Ninth. We have an-"

"But do we _have_ to wear dresses?" She asked as I was interrupted by her frustration. "I mean, if my brothers ever find out about this, I'll never hear the end of it." Miharu stopped me in my tracks and grabbed my shirt. "This stays between us, got it?!" I chuckled and released her grip on me.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." We continued on our way. The building wasn't very big compared to what we were used to back home. Namimori Middle made our old school look like a castle. As we walked through the halls, I noticed a group of boys. The shortest of the three seemed to catch my attention. There was something about him that was different. One of the other boys who had grayish hair seemed to watch Miharu. Suddenly, he ran over to her and grabbed her hand as she was pulling hair out of her face.

"_You _have a Vongola ring?" Miharu and I gasped that he even knew about the rings let alone the Vongola Mafia. Miharu flipped the boy over so that, now, he was on his back and no longer touching her.

"What's it to ya, punk?!" She screamed. The other two boys were starring at her and the boy. But the boy didn't seem hurt. Instead, he was more surprised about the ring than anything else. Slowly, I grabbed Miharu's arm so as not to make any sudden movements.

"Come on, Miharu. Let's go to class." As we began to walk away, the boy got up from where he had been thrown. I figured he wanted to fight, so I was ready if Miharu wasn't going to. But instead, he turned to his friends.

"Juudiame, they have Vongola rings!" Miharu and I stopped in our tracks at the work _Juudiame_ meaning Tenth. We turned around and looked at the other boys who were still watching us with the same shock we had.

"Ehh?! Vongola?!" The shortest one said.

"Juudiame?!" Miharu and I both stated. The boy nodded indicating that it was him. But it couldn't be. The Tenth was supposed to be this great tyrant.

"Wait," I put my hands in the air to slow everything down and take a moment to get this all straight. "You mean you're the Tenth?" The boy nervously rubbed the back of his head and nodded as if he was embarrassed. Miharu and I both looked at each other and then back at him.

"You mean that-" Miharu began but I couldn't help but join in.

"Shrimp!" We both laughed at the same time. We were laughing so hard we barely noticed the first boy getting very upset.

"Don't you _ever_ insult Juudiame!" The third boy, next to the Tenth, seemed to be laughing along with us as if we had something really funny. Then again, we had. We had never seen anyone so short and we definitely weren't expecting it. Suddenly, a small hatch lifted and up popped a small body. A face only Miharu and I knew so well.

"Reborn!" We gasped. It had been years since we had seen him.

"Ciaossu." He greeted. The small boy, who I begun to realize was named Tsuna, was most shocked out of all of them. Knowing Reborn's background, I knew Tsuna was his current student to train.

"Reborn, you know them?" Tsuna asked. Reborn nodded and continued to explain.

"Nakashima Miharu. She specializes in short range attacks and illusionary." Miharu stood up taller to emphasize her pride for her talents. "And Mizushama Sayomi," I looked at Tsuna and waved, indicating he was talking about me. "She specializes in short and medium range attacks and also specializes in kick boxing." The word 'boxing' echoed down the halls. All the way down, in fact, that within seconds a giant steam of smoke was racing towards us. It wasn't until he got closer that I realized it was, in fact, a boy who was running up to Miharu.

"YOU BOX?!?!" He gripped Miharu's shoulders all too tightly. I knew she was in pain but I also knew that she was a little freaked out. I think most of us were. Miharu shook her head and looked over to me. The boy jumped over to me, our faces were so close I could feel his breath. "YOU BOX?!?!" My ears were ringing from his shouting.

"Um, yes." I said cautiously, afraid of what he was going to do next. The boy began to shake me violently.

"YOU MUST JOIN MY EXTREME BOXING CLUB!!!" I flipped him over my head and did a cartwheel in the process. The boy sailed through the hallway and landed upside down on the wall. I stood back up and smoothed out my dress. The boys watched as Miharu and I walked off to class. The boy I had thrown seemed all dreamy eyed. A red-headed girl ran over to him, looking worried.

"Brother! Are you ok?" She asked. The boy ignored her question.

"I'm in love." I rolled my eyes and continued walking. What a day this had been.


	2. Chapter 2: We're not losers!

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 2 {The rest of you losers}

The class was like my usual Italian classroom. Then again, Miharu and I _were_ in Japan. I had almost forgotten what it was truly like to live in Japan. My family and I were here when I was very little; when our mom was still with us. I'm always surprised how much I remember. I remember coming to Japan for the summer to visit our grandparents. The trees were always my favorite part.

Miharu brought me out of my thought as she nudged me. Everyone was staring at us but I didn't know why at first. Then I realized that it was because we were being introduced along with a few other new students. The teacher said they were foreign exchange students but I didn't believe it. They seemed too….suspicious; the oldest one especially. I knew I had never seen his face before but his eyes and the way he looked at me were too similar to someone I used to know.

There were three 'foreign exchange students' from Italy as well. The teacher had introduced them as T'saan, Luxura and Leiko before he went on introducing us. T'saan was average height but shorter than me. He expression was strange. It was almost as if he was concentrating on something. Luxura was slim and beautiful. Any guy would be crazy not to want her. It explained why every guy in the room was drooling over her. Her hair was long and silky but she carried a look on her face as if everyone was beneath her.

Leiko was different. He was taller than me and seemed to have an egotistical attitude about him. It was almost familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was as if he reminded me of someone but I couldn't think of who.

The teacher explained that we were all transfers from Italy but I couldn't stop staring at Leiko. There was something about him that was off.

"What are you looking at?" Miharu whispered to me. I shook my head but kept watching the boy as if he was going to do something that I recognized. Leiko looked over at me and winked. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the class who continued to watch us.

Eventually we were able to take our seats. Miharu and I took ours in the middle near the window. Leiko and T'saan decided to sit near us. I don't know what it was about him but Leiko gave me a creepy feeling about him. The way he looked at me just didn't feel right. It was like I had felt this feeling before but I couldn't remember when.

T'saan scooted his chair closer to Miharu and placed his arm around her shoulder. As her friend, I was practically her sister and I didn't approve of what I was seeing. Clearly, Miharu didn't either. Slowly, she turned her head towards him. His smile was almost very similar to Leiko's. Creepy and giving Miharu a funny feeling that wasn't good.

"Hey baby." T'saan greeted. Now, you have to understand something about Miharu. Because she was raised by boys she has never been afraid to do what is on her mind. So when I tell you that Miharu punched T'saan in the face, don't be surprised. That's exactly what she did. T'saan flew to the ground as everyone watched and stared. Clearly, my friend had caused a scene.

"Mm, feisty." T'saan smirked, "Just how I like my women." T'saan rubbed his chin and took his seat again next to her. Leiko picked up the boy who was sitting next to me and moved him into another seat so that he could take the seat that was now vacant next to me. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and kissed it as if he had permission to. There was still something about him that I wasn't sure about. Almost as if I had seen him before or as if I knew him. But that was impossible. As Leiko sat back down in his seat, I wiped off the slimy germs that were left from my hand. He just sat back and smiled to himself. As if what I did was expected of me. But he didn't know me and I didn't know him.

Luxura, the girl who was with them, leaned closer to Leiko. Something in her fiery glare at me seemed to hint towards the fact that she didn't like me. At all. She leaned in closer to him, all the while keeping her snake like eyes at me.

"Let's skip lunch today so we can go somewhere," Luxura paused as if expecting me to be listening in. The only reason why I could hear everything was because she was saying it loud enough for me to. So, clearly, it wasn't my fault. "Private." She finished. Leiko seemed to swat at her as if she were a bug.

"Not today, Luxura. I have other things on my mind." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he was looking at me. Either that or he was looking in my general direction. I prayed and wished very hard he wasn't looking at me.

The rest of the class period, the entire time, Leiko did nothing but watch me. NOTHING! Not even to look at his book. Well, he did look at his book but only when I looked at him and tried to catch him. Something was off about that boy. I was a little afraid to find out.

The lunch break soon came and the two boys scooted closer to Miharu and me. I rolled my eyes and looked over at the door. Ryohei entered with a lunch box for his sister. Nervously, he waved at me. I just waved back and smiled. He walked over to Tsuna and the others to join them. I assumed he had decided on staying for lunch. Yamamoto looked over and waved for us to come over. Miharu and I gladly took the invitation. T'saan and Leiko didn't seem very happy once we left them alone. Neither was Luxura but for reasons of her own.

Since there were no other seats left, Miharu sat next to Gokudera and I sat next to Ryohei. The guys weren't so bad. Miharu and I would have taken them over Leiko and T'saan any day. They were creepy and I didn't want to think of them anymore.

"Dang it!" Gokudera sighed out of frustration when he opened his box. The smell was revolting and it didn't look appetizing. "My stupid sister made my lunch again." Miharu karate chopped her food with her hand and gave him one half.

"Here, eat this." She told him with food in her mouth. I shook my head and smiled at her female 'manners.' Clearly, she had been raised by boys. Then again, I wasn't much better. Gokudera thanked her and seemed a little shocked. Almost like he didn't really know what else to do other than eat his good food. Ryohei tried another attempt for me to join his boxing club.

"No," I said again. "I will not join your boxing club."

"Ah come on!" Ryohei exclaimed, throwing down his food in the process. His sister looked over at me, not really happy that her brother just ruined his food. "Why not?" He asked again. Obviously, he was as stubborn as I was.

"Because I do more kick boxing." I bit into my food and noticed that he was watching me. Clearly, he didn't understand my statement.

"So?! It's still boxing!!!" Everyone in our little group seemed to be watching us argue back and forth. This went on for awhile.

"I won't join because I have more important things to do. Like keeping your sorry butt alive." I whispered the last part. The truth was none of them knew what was coming. It was so bad _I_ didn't even know how bad it was. I just knew it was bad.

"So how did you come into possession of Vongola rings anyway?" Tsuna asked. I nearly threw a chair at him for saying that. Anyone in the room could have been a spy of some kind. Or worse, something we would face in the near future. Miharu, instead, put a finger to his mouth to shut him up. Though, I still would have preferred hitting him with a chair.

"Not now, Tsuna. We'll talk about this on the way to your house." Tsuna nodded and Miharu put down her finger. The rest of the lunch period was basically the same. Ryohei wouldn't leave the boxing club alone and getting me to join.

At the end of the day, Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Miharu and I were heading to Tsuna's house. Reborn sat patiently on Tsuna's shoulder.

"So how did you get the Vongola rings?" Tsuna asked, reminding me of my promise earlier.

"When Miharu and I became the age of twelve, our parents gave us the Vongola rings that were given to them by one of the helpers of the ninth. We were told that these rings would help us to become stronger and help the tenth Vongola boss. At a very young age, we were chosen to be guardians." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Miharu tugging at her dress again. Something she had been doing all day. Dresses were really never her thing.

" I'm the guardian of Wind and Sayomi is the Guardian of Moon. We were called here by the ninth to see that Tsuna gets the right training for something that cannot be said at this time."

"So soon?" Reborn asked. I could only assume that he already knew what was to come; at least, as much as we knew. Reborn knew everything about everything.

"Yes, the time is close," I said gravely. If Tsuna was not ready by the time the fight came, if none of them were ready, then there would be no hope for any of them. Tsuna looked confused as ever, as he should. Miharu and I were not allowed to discuss such matters. Such secrecy meant it was serious.

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna asked. As much as I wanted to tell him, I couldn't. I just gave me a reassuring smile but I knew the effort was useless.

"Don't worry about it." I informed him. "You'll learn soon enough. Oh, and we're going to be the ones to train you." Tsuna and the other stopped from shock but Miharu and I kept walking as we held smiles on our faces.

"Oh," Miharu waved. "And we're here to train the rest of you losers too." Gokudera was not happy with his statement. He ran up and to catch up with us as well as the others did.

"We're not losers!" He defended. Miharu and I looked at each other and laughed.

"They're just joking," Yamamoto laughed. Miharu and I decided not to explain to him that Miharu wasn't really joking. It was true that calling them losers was a little harsh but sometimes we had to be harsh to get a point across. If they were put in an epic battle, right now, they wouldn't last two seconds; Tsuna especially. From what I could tell, he didn't even _know_ how to fight without using one of Reborn's bullets.

"Hi mom," Tsuna called as we walked in. A woman with short brown hair stood in front of a stove. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious. "This is Miharu and Sayomi." The woman turned around and smiled with a warm welcome.

"Oh, hello girls. Will you be staying for dinner?" She asked. The way she said it was like we had been here before and it was just a regular day. It had been a long time since I had real homemade cooking from a mother.

"Yes, thank you." I told her. Tsuna looked at me, not understanding why. He wasn't trying to be rude but he didn't think there was a reason for us to be staying as long. "We have to begin your training right away. Starting tomorrow would be better. Today, we talk." Tsuna was still surprised by this attack.

"What?! I never said I would agree to this training!" I sighed and shook my head. It wasn't an option. This was life or death we were talking about.

"Fine, then die for all we care." Miharu said as she followed the others up the stairs.

"Miharu," I said in a warning voice. Tsuna and I headed upstairs along with everyone else. "What she means to say is, if you don't train and learn you will die when you are forced into battle." That seemed to register something in his mind.

"But what is the upcoming battle?" Tsuna asked. Everyone was seated in random places all around the room. I sat in front of the table, next to Miharu, in the middle of the room.

"We can't tell you. All we can do is train you for what you will face." Gokudera seemed to be really into everything we were saying. At least, when it came to talking to Tsuna.

"You can do it, Juudainme!" He slammed his fist on the table to an emphasis. The door opened and a little boy in a cow outfit stepped in. His eyes met Miharu. It was hard to read either one of their expressions. Miharu stood up slowly. You could cut the tension with a knife. Suddenly, Miharu jumped over the table and attached the boy. Everyone was shocked but I just smiled because the boy was laughing. Miharu was tickling him.

"Nee-chan, I've missed you!" The little boy hugged Miharu and the two laughed.

"Oh Lambo, I've missed you too!" She laughed. Gokudera stood up looking like he was going to fall over from the shock.

"She's related to that stupid cow?" Miharu death glared before turning back to her brother. Miharu dug through her bag and pulled out a bag full of pink hand grenades. Lambo jumped up and down with excitement. Through the door, another boy walked in carrying a big red book along with a girl the same age as Lambo.

"Tsuna-nii, welcome home! Oh." The boy stopped as he looked at us. "Hi, I'm Fuuta and this is Ipin." Miharu and I waved to the two of them.

"Hi Fuuta. I'm Mizushama Sayomi." I informed him.

"And I'm Nakashima Miharu." Small items around the room began to lift in the air. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen but Miharu seemed to know right away what was happening. "Sayomi, it's Ranking Fuuta!" My eyes went wide. I had heard about Ranking Fuuta but I only thought it was a myth. I didn't think he was actually real. Fuuta's eyes glossed over and his stared straight at me.

"Mizushama Sayomi ranks 1 in woman's kick boxing in all of Italy," the window suddenly flew open and Ryohei jumped through.

"Please, join my extreme boxing club!!!!!" He screamed at me but shook my head.

"No! Now let him finish." I looked back down at Fuuta, really curious as to what else he would say.

"Ranked number 1 in pole-vaulting and ranks number 1 in "most likely to catch a chicken." Everyone turned their heads towards me. Tsuna, who was right next to me, spoke first.

"Catch a chicken?" I sighed and rubbed my temples. The title, as I knew it, would haunt me and stay with me forever.

"Don't. Ask." I warned. Tsuna just smiled and we all looked at Fuuta as he looked at Miharu.

"Nakashima Miharu ranks 2 in "most potential illusionist" ranks 1 in "most likely to knock you out when teased" and ranked 1 in 'most likely to beat anyone's video score.'" His eyes returned back to normal and the small items descended back to the ground. Fuuta grabbed his book and opened it wide. "I need to write these down."

~ Meanwhile~

The best grand hotel in Namimori sat a few miles from the middle school. The hotel room itself was the best in the entire building. It was decorated with the best money could buy. In this one suite, were several different bedrooms were placed all around and they were divided on two different levels.

Gula and Acedia walked in and sit on the couch in front of a TV. Gula was a rather plump boy who didn't like to do a lot of things except sit on the couch, watch TV and eat. Acedia, on the other hand, didn't like to do much of anything except watch TV. Everything else was just a hassle.

Gula of them grabbed a bag of chips that had been left from the morning. The other grabbed the remote and started flipping through the channels. Leiko walked in with Luxura hanging on his arm. His face suddenly formed into a different shape as he headed towards the stars. His new face was more round compared to his disguised face. T'saan walked in behind him and clutched his head as he sat on the couch.

"Chip?" Gula asked.

"No, I don't want a chip. I just want to rest." T'saan said annoyed. "I don't know how much more I can take of this." He sighed.

Lailar walked in from the hallway and couldn't help but over hear. It was his nature to hear everything and want everything. He was a tall boy, fit, and always had the best of everything. As he walked in the living room, he pulled off his shades to get a better look at everyone.

"It's only been one day and already you have a headache?" The boy laughed. T'saan sat up from his seat and glared at the boy.

"Shut UP, Leilar! Disguising people's faces is harder than it looks. Not to mention I was doing it all day. Let's see you do that for one day and see if you don't have a headache!" T'saan's temper was growing by the second with his headache. Gula put another chip in his mouth as he sighed at the two boys bickering.

"Both of you shut up. We can't hear the TV!" He groaned. Acedia rolled his eyes at the usually fight between the two and turned up the volume on the TV. Superbi and Ira walked in through the front door and joined the others.

Superbi believed to be the smartest person in the world. With her short hair and glasses, she appeared to be. Ira was anything but a book worm like Superbi. She was well built for a girl and didn't let any opportunity pass her by that had to do with fighting.

Superbi walked into the living room and took her usual seat next to Acedia. She took his arm and turned toward the TV as the others were doing. Ira, on the other hand, stood at the bottom of the staircase. There was something she wanted to ask her fearless leader.

"Oi! Culpo!" Culpo and Luxura stopped and turned to face Ira. "When are we going to take out the little brats? I'm ready to fight them now!!" Culpo sighed and shook his head. Luxura rolled her eyes at Ira's usual eagerness to fight anything and anyone.

"No today, Ira." Culpo informed him. "The time will come."


	3. Chapter 3: Snap you like a twig

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 3 {Snap you like a twig}

School had gone like regular. All day I kept thinking about who Leiko reminded me of. He gave me chills with every staring glance. I tried to avoid eye contact but it was hard when I felt his eyes on me but each time I looked at him he looked off in a different direction.

Well, it was after school and all of us were in Tsuna's backyard. His mother was making us dinner again. The night before, Miharu and I couldn't believe how delicious the food was. I had almost forgotten how good a home cooked meal could be.

"Tsuna," I said as I stepped into the opened space. I wiggled my finger gesturing him to come. "Since you're the tenth, you're first. Miharu and I want to see your ability so we know how much training you all need." Tsuna nodded and began to take out a little pill box. I had seen one before but Tsuna was not going to be using it.

"No pills." Miharu said, recognizing the same pill box and taking it from him.

"No pill?" He gasped. I turned toward Reborn who sat, unmoved, on the steps.

"And no bullets." I informed him.

"Understood." Reborn nodded. It had to be done. Tsuna had to understand what was already inside of him. It was part of his training.

"How am I supposed to fight without the flame?" Tsuna asked.

"You will not always have Reborn shooting you with bullets or pills to take. Those pills are hard to find and Leon won't be able to fire bullets at you all the time. He is a living animal after all." From what I could tell, Tsuna wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to train but it had to be done. They all had to go through it.

"You can do it, Juudaime!" Gokudera cheered.

"Yeah, Tsuna! It will be easy." Yamamoto pitched in. Tsuna looked at his friends and smiled. I knew his flame was in him somewhere. He was unlike any mafia guy I had ever met. And I had my fair share.

"Tsuna," I said to get his attention. "You must find the resolution yourself. You know the feeling of the flame. Now find it." Tsuna took in a deep breath and nodded that he was ready. I smiled and pulled out a small rod from the back of my shirt. The small rod extended in my hand and pulled out to a longer length; almost about the size of my body. Tsuna's eyes went wide.

"I don't think this is fair anymore." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Tsuna, don't be afraid. I'm not going to kill you." I twirled the pole around and got into my fighting stance. Tsuna posed but he was shaking. Clearly, I had a lot of work to do.

"Tsuna, imagine the flame." Miharu tried to help. Tsuna closed his eyes, trying to imagine the feeling of the flame. He opened his eyes thinking he was ready.

Our battle lasted bare a minute. He was down after one hit. Tsuna tried again but failed. This happened several more times. The sad part was, I wasn't even trying hard to fight him.

"Alright, that's enough." I sighed as Tsuna collapsed on the ground. Gokudera and Yamamoto jumped up and helped him.

"What was that for? Are you trying to kill him?" Gokudera argued.

"I wasn't that hard on him. Plus, whoever he's going to face will not go as easy as I have." I told him. Miharu got up from her seat and stood in the middle of the yard next to me. "We'll try again tomorrow."

"Like heck you will! He can't do it yet. You didn't even give him time." Gokudera yelled as he stood up. It was obvious he cared for Tsuna and would do anything but how far would he go?

"You're not given any time when you're faced in a real battle." Miharu glared, her fists shaking. She wanted to fight him, I could tell. However, if I let them fight, they probably would kill each other. Or they would try to. "Tsuna must be ready for everything." A small smile formed on her lips. I could feel the challenge about to come out of her mouth. "Let's see how you do." Gokudera pulled a handful of bombs from deep within his clothes and stepped forward. I sighed and sat down on the steps.

"Fine, but I won't go easy on you because you're a girl." Gokudera told her. Miharu smirked.

"Funny. I was going to say the same to you." Gokudera glared at her and threw bombs at her. Miharu did a back flip and the bombs sailed past her. This was going to be an interesting fight.

~Meanwhile~

Culpo, also known as Leiko, sat down at the head of the table. The rest of his followers had already been seated. Tonight was the night they would discuss their plan of taking out Tsuna and his "family." If there was one thing Culpo hungered for, it was power. He hungered for it as much as Leilar did. Culpo looked over at T'saan who was resting his head on the table, still exhausted from the day's disguise for Culpo as Leiko.

"T'saan, are you alright?" Culpo asked. T'saan raised a hand in the air and gave Culpo a thumbs up. Satisfied with this answer, Culpo turned to the others and began their meeting. "Today, we discuss our plan of action. In a few days, we will take down the Vongola." Ira slammed her fists on the table, her face gleaming with excitement.

"Finally!" Her fist was shaking in the air.

"Calm down, Ira." Leilar sighed. Ira stood up as a challenge to Leilar.

"You want to start something? Huh? Let's go? I'll snap you like a twig, I swear I will!" Ira yelled. Leilar seemed to want to accept the challenge and stood up.

"Let's go! Right here! Right now!" He was about to start the battle but Culpo put his hands in the air. Both, still glaring at each other, slowly sat down.

"That is enough you two." Culpo said calmly. "Save it for the battle against the Vongola." Superbi cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses.

"We have to think about this logically." She suggested. "We can't just attack and fight them." Ira smiled as an idea came to her mind. She picked up her basketball and began to twirl it on her finger.

"I think I have an idea," Ira smiled.

~Back at Tsuna's house~

Gokudera searched all around but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find Miharu. He had forgotten that Miharu specialized in illusionary. Gokudera pulled out more bombs and looked around, ready for when she would attack. Suddenly, Miharu appeared and kicked Gokudera in the face. The boy fell over backwards, defeated. No one said anything for a few moments. Ryohei was the first to say something.

"Now it's my turn to the extreme!" He clenched his fist, ready for a fight. I smiled at his eagerness and decided Miharu needed a break. I placed a hand on her shoulder before she stepped forward to fight him.

"My turn." Miharu looked at me and smiled before turning back to Ryohei. She knew _exactly _what I was thinking. Miharu sat down so she could watch. Gokudera, on the other hand, stood and the porch and folded his arms. He wasn't happy that he had just been beaten by a girl. I didn't blame him. After all, Ryohei was about to experience the same thing.

Ryohei stepped forward and didn't hesitate as he began to punch me. Or, at least, attempt to. Every punch he flew at me, failed. I was able to dodge each one. He thought they were flying very fast but, to me, they seemed slow and it was as if he was trying too hard.

"GAH! Hold still to the extreme!" Ryohei yelled out of frustration. I laughed decided to end it. We need to move on and I could already tell what needed to be done in order to train Ryohei. He needed to learn how to be calm and be steady with his movements. It wasn't about speed but about accuracy and, as of in that moment, he was just using speed.

I quickly twisted my body around and did a roundhouse kick; knocking him off his feet. Ryohei was taken aback that I had defeated him in one swift move.

"That was…..extreme!" Ryohei yelled with excitement. Yamamoto laughed and stepped forward.

"I suppose it's my turn." I took out my staff and twirled it around. He did the same with his Shinai. This was going to be fun.

Compared to the rest of them, Yamamoto wasn't so bad. He had better training than any of the others but, as well as the others, still had a ways to go. But none of them were as bad as Tsuna. He had a good heart but he couldn't fight to save his life; and he needed it to save his life.

The next day Miharu and I walked out of our apartment and headed to class. For some reason, I felt as if someone was watching us. I stopped and turned around but I say nothing. No movement at all.

"You ok?" Miharu asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I said and continued onto school. The rest of the day I had that strange feeling. Someone was watching me and I didn't like it. I was so paranoid about being followed that I barely noticed the day passing me by. Before I knew it, school ended and Miharu and I were headed out of class with the Vongola boys.

"Hey, Tsuna." Someone called from behind. We all turned around to face Leiko and his goons. I recognized Luxura and T'saan from our class. However, I didn't know who the other five where. One girl looked straight at me. I thought Luxura hated me but this girl seemed to hate me more. This girl hated even said anything to me and I already knew that.

"My friends and I would like to challenge you to a basketball game." Lieko challenged. I thought it a bit strange that he was randomly challenging Tsuna, especially to anything let alone basketball. I had only known Tsuna for a short time and I already knew Tsuna was not very athletic. However, before any of us could say anything, Ryohei appeared and answered for all of us.

"We accept to the extreme!" He shook his fist in the air to add more to his statement. Tsuna gasped. In fact, he seemed the only one shocked. Everyone else was for it; even Miharu.

"When and where?" She asked, stepping forward. I didn't like any of this. There had to be more in all of this.

"Right now at the basketball court." Leiko's smile turned into a smirk and I didn't like it one bit. He was planning something. Either that or he already did have something planned. Leiko and his goons turned and started walking towards the court. Miharu, along with the Vongola boys followed as did I.

All of us changed into our P.E. uniforms before meeting back at in the middle of the court. Leiko winked at me before turning to Tsuna. "Pick your players."

"I'm right behind you, Juudaime." Gokudera said first.

"To the extreme!" Ryohei confirmed with his fist in the air. I looked to Yamamoto who shook his head. I didn't blame him. Basketball wasn't his thing. Only baseball was. I turned to my best friend who nodded.

"We're with you, Tsuna." I patted his shoulder and Leiko smiled as if he had expected this all along.

"And I choose T'saan, Leilar, Ira, Superbi and myself." The girl known was Ira looked over at Ryohei and waved flirtatiously. For some reason, this didn't sit with me. I didn't like her and I didn't like her waving at Ryohei like that. I looked at Ryohei who was waving but when he looked at me he stopped. I glared at Ira, wishing looks could kill. Oh it was on.

The game started and we were all doing great for awhile. The score was tied and none of us were getting tired, though I was getting there. Ira was good at basketball but I was better. But that wasn't really what had my attention. I couldn't stop watching Leiko. He reminded me so much of someone I use to know but I was afraid to even think it.

The game went on and on. Neither side scored but I almost felt as if Leiko's team wasn't doing as well as they could have. It was clear that Ira was good because she blocked every shot Ryohei tried to make; no matter how hard he threw it in the air. At one point, Ryohei hit it so hard he popped the ball. Ira had to run and get her basketball from her locker. As we continued to play, I could see everyone was getting pretty tired. Leiko saw it too. He called a time out but he turned to Tsuna instead of his team.

"Oi! Tsuna," he called, "how about we raise the stakes? If we win, T'saan and I get dates with Miharu and Sayomi." Ryohei and Gokudera looked at each other, not liking the sound of where this was going. Miharu and I didn't either. I looked over at Ira as she whispered something in Leiko's ear. Leiko smiled and nodded. "Along with Ryohei and Ira." Ira waved at Ryohei but, this time, Ryohei didn't wave back. I didn't blame him. I didn't like any of it either.

"And if we win?" Gokudera asked. I didn't want to hear what Leiko had to say because I was afraid who would say something else.

"You leave Japan." I said before anyone else could. Everyone gasped except Miharu and Leiko. Leiko smirked and bowed his head in agreement.

The game continued and Leiko and his team were playing better than they had; as I suspected. However, the whole time I couldn't stop watching Leiko. Every time his shirt lifted, I thought I would see a tattoo that my ex-boyfriend Culpo had. But I was going crazy. Sadly, I was so distracted that I hardly noticed that Ira had possession of the ball. She ran toward her team's hoop and scooped her arm around like the professionals did. Leiko and his team won the game and the bet. But that wasn't the worst part. When I thought the tattoo was just in my head, I saw it again as he was giving he teammates high fives.

I couldn't take it anymore. I walked across the court and lifted up his shirt. As clear as day, there it was. Culpo's tattoo that only two people knew the design of. Me and Culpo. I was so shocked I barely noticed Ryohei arguing that I had lifted up Leiko's shirt.

"Oi! What are you doing?" Ryohei yelled. "Don't look at his chest! If you want to look at an extreme chest, look at mine!" I couldn't stop looking at Leiko. Out of nowhere, Luxura walked up with her mini skirt and fashion bag.

"Leiko, let's go." She sighed, bored. "Gula is hungry again." Leiko nodded and turned back to me.

"See you around, Yomi." He kissed my hand and winked before he walked off with his gang.

"Hey! Don't touch her!" Ryohei yelled after Leiko. I couldn't move. That was, without a doubt, Culpo. I didn't know how but I knew that was him. Only one person ever called me Yomi and that was my ex-boyfriend. "Hey are you ok?" Ryohei asked but I said nothing. Miharu sensed something wrong and ran right over.

"Sayomi, what's wrong?" She asked. I could barely speak. My hand slowly lift as I pointed to someone who wasn't there anymore.

"That. Was. Culpo." Miharu gasped and looked in the direction Leiko, or Culpo, had gone.

"Oi, who's Culpo?" Ryohei asked, still confused. I ignored him and turned back to Sayomi.

"And I have to go on a date with him!"


	4. Chapter 4: Bring it on

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 4 {Bring it on}

My life was over. Culpo was the _last _person I **ever** wanted to see let alone go on a date with. Miharu snapped her fingers in front of my face but I just sat there on the couch in Tsuna's living room. Everyone sat or stood in front of him. Tsuna's mother offered to cook something but Tsuna shook his head. I wouldn't eat anything. I had lost my appetite for the rest of my life.

"Is she going to be ok?" Tsuna asked. Miharu looked at him, not really sure how to answer. Tiny feet were implanted on my head.

"Enough," Reborn said. I rubbed the side of my head and nodded. He was right. I had to get a hold of myself.

"I have to go on a date with him." I said more to myself than anyone else.

"Sayomi? Who's Culpo?" Tsuna asked. "I thought you were going with Leiko. That was the deal." I shook my head, still unbelieving how he did it but I was sure Leiko was Culpo.

"I was hoping I would never have to explain any of this. Only Miharu and I know about him." I sighed as I began to explain. "Yoshida Culpo was, well is, a well known fighter in Italy. He was the heir of the Bonavolado Family until his father disowned him for being too reckless and out of control. That only made things worse. At the time, Miharu and I were really his only friends. A while later, I became more. That's when things went downhill."

"Did he hurt you?" Tsuna asked. I could tell it was weird, almost awkward, for him to ask but he did anyway.

"No," I said. Miharu clenched her fist as I knew she remembered. He didn't hit me. "But he tried to. He failed, thanks to my training. Culpo was never able to beat me. No matter how hard he tried."

"That's cause he pulls his punches. Weakling." Miharu muttered the last part under her breath but I still heard.

"Miharu," I said to her but she just shrugged. She wouldn't take it back. Part of me didn't want her too. I turned back to the others. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ryohei leaning against the door frame. He wasn't really in the room but he was still listening to something he didn't want to hear.

"Last I saw of him, he was trying to make his own Mafia Family. He wanted Miharu and I to join but we both refused. Culpo was most upset that I wouldn't stand by him. After our fight, he disappeared and I haven't seen him since." Tsuna's mother came out with a big smile on her face. Usually, it brought comfort to us all but it brought me very little. It didn't change the fact that I still had to go on a date with him.

As his mother walked in, Miharu and I took note of someone else. Her long purple hair fell down past her shoulders and swayed as she walked towards Reborn. Miharu and I only heard about her in stories and rumors.

"Gah! Si-" Gokudara cringed and fell to the floor as he clutched his stomach.

"Oh, Sayomi, Miharu, this is Bia-" Tsuna didn't have to finish her name. We already knew. Miharu and I knew everything there was to know about her.

"Also known as Poison Scorpion." Miharu sighed. At the same time, we rushed up to her and hugged her. "I am your biggest fan! Can I have your autograph?" Miharu quickly pulled out a pen and pad paper for her to sign. The Poison Scorpion smiled at us and the pad and paper where she made Miharu's dream come true.

"Call me Bianchi, girls." The Poi-I mean, Biachi smiled. Miharu and I nodded at her request. What could I say? She was our idol. Many times we wished to meet her and here she was; right in front of us. She had to be the answer to our problem.

"Bianchi, what should we do?" I asked her. "We have to go on dates with my ex-boyfriend and one of his goonies."

"Go on the date." Bianchi shrugs. All of our mouths dropped straight to the floor. We couldn't believe she was actually serious. "I've read up on you girls and know very well your skills."

"Bianchi," Reborn said to get her attention. Bianchi knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around his small body.

"Yes, Reborn?" She asked soothingly.

"Gokudera." He pointed. Gokudera was still curled on the floor with his stomach all in knots. Bianchi looked at her brother and smiled at her mistake. Out of her pocket she pulled a pair of goggles and placed them over her eyes.

"Sorry, Hayato." Miharu and I looked at each other but we just shrugged. We didn't understand why he cringed at the sight of his wonderful sister. Though, it still bugged me that we were still going on that date. It seemed there was nothing Bianchi could do; or would do. Miharu and I had to face our dates head on.

Heaven help us.

POV: Gokudera

Miharu and Sayomi continued to fear for their dates. For some reason, I wasn't too happy about their little date either. I tried talking to the Tenth but every time I even got close to telling him to stop the girls, I couldn't do it. I had to do it. The Tenth sat at the kitchen table eating his breakfast. Sayomi and Miharu hadn't come over yet so now was the perfect time. My heart was racing and I was shaking in my shoes.

"Uh, Te-" A hand covered my mouth and someone pulled me into another room. I was released and a door was closed behind me. "What's-" I turned around and glared at a familiar face. "Turf head! What's wrong with you? I was just about to talk to the Tenth!"

"Shush, Octopus Head! To the extreme!" He clenched his fist to add emphasis. "Look, I know you're not happy with Sayomi and Miharu going on their date. I'm not happy with it either. We have to do something." He wasn't really what I had in mind but he would do.

"Right. We have to do something." I began to pace as the wheels in my head began to turn. We had to come up with a plan to stop them from going on the date.

"WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR WOMEN TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei yelled. I covered his mouth so no one else would hear him.

"Shut up, Turf head! Moron," I sighed. That's when it hit me. He wasn't the brightest crayon in the box but he gave me an idea. "Ryohei, I've got a plan."

POV: Sayomi

The night had finally come. Miharu and I had dressed nicely but I tried not to look too impressive. Miharu wanted to wear a sweatshirt, dirty jeans and sneakers but I told her it was a bad idea. It would get hot and, knowing Culpo, he would trick us somehow into getting us into doing another date if we didn't do it right. So I put Miharu in a nice shirt and jeans and I did the same. By the time we arrived at the carnival, Culpo and Ts'aan were waiting for us at the entrance.

"We already have your tickets." Culpo smiled. "You look lovely." Culpo tried to kiss me but I gave him my cheek. I could feel his slime trickling down my skin. Culpo just chuckled and placed an arm around my shoulder as he led me onto the grounds. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ts'aan trying to do the same thing with Miharu but my best friend grabbed his hand and crushed it under her grasp. Ts'aan removed his arm from her shoulders. Our dreadful date had started.

It had only been an hour and I _still_ wasn't having any fun. I wasn't supposed to in my eyes. Miharu and Ts'aan had gone their own way. Ts'aan said something about wanting to get her a stuffed animal and Miharu said something about not wanting anything stuffed and fluffy. Several times Culpo tried to take my hand but I would move it away. Culpo would just smile. Eventually, he tried again and I placed my hand in my pockets. Culpo sighed and turned his head in my direction.

"Alright, tell me what's wrong?" He asked as if we were dating again. Like anything he could say would make me feel better. Well that was then and this was now. I hated being at the carnival with him. I hated being in his presence.

"You trick my friends into a game of basketball. You bet me like I'm some kind of trophy to win and, yet, you ask me what's wrong." I kept walking not even caring where I was going or where I was headed. I just wanted to be away from Culpo. A hand grabbed my arm and I turned to slap him but Culpo caught my arm.

"Still slow," Culpo sighed. "Come on, let's go to the Merry-go-Round. That always made you feel better." Culpo took my hand and guided me to the ride that I had, unknowingly, walked up to. Culpo chose the love seat, as he always did, and made me sit down. The entire ride I felt as if we were being watched.

POV: Gokudera

We weren't there five seconds before that jerk was putting the moves on Sayomi. Ryohei tried to jump out of the bushes and blow our cover. I had to hold him back and calm him down. "He touched her!" Ryohei tried to yell but I covered his mouth.

"Will you stop, you moron! You'll blow our cover. The girls don't know we're here!" I turned back to Miharu. The pointy-head freak was trying to wrap his arm around her shoulder. "Why that little-" I tried to jump out and blow him up but Ryohei stopped me.

"Oi, we have to keep our cover." I hated to admit it but he was right. We had to stay hidden. The date continued and the Turf head and I tried our best to stay hidden. But it was harder than it looked.

At one point during the date, Ryohei and I had to go our separate ways because Miharu went one way with her date while Sayomi went in another direction with hers. I followed Miharu. Ts'aan was a shifting character and I didn't trust him one bit.

"I know what will cheer you up. A stuffed animal." Ts'aan smiled, thinking he was right. Miharu and I happened to shake our heads on the same time. Miharu wasn't like any of the girls. She would have hated a stuffed animal.

"I hate stuffed animals." She muttered.

"Nonsense. Let's get you one." Ts'aan tried to smile and dragged her to a shooting booth. I didn't like him but I had an idea. As smooth as I could, I went behind the booth and worked my magic. If it went according to plan, Ts'aan wouldn't be able to knock down anything. I moved to where I could get a better view. Ts'aan gave the man at the booth a ticket and took the gun. Miharu looked around, clearly not interested in watching Ts'aan fail.

Ts'aan pulled the gun up to his cheek. I could barely keep my laughter in. He fired the gun and I nearly fainted from the shock. Not only did my plan back fire, Ts'aan was able to knock down every single target. WITH ONE SHOT! The guy at the booth blinked at the amazement of what had taken place. He handed Ts'aan the biggest stuffed animal and he handed it to Miharu. She took it by the ear and allowed the animal to be dragged all over the place. The stuffed animal began to collect as much dirt as it possible could. I had no choice but to continue to follow.

I could tell Miharu wanted to go home. She wasn't happy being on a date with Ts'aan. Who wouldn't be? The jerk didn't want to listen to anything she had to say. He talked about himself the whole time. I was as sick as Miharu. He took her to the Ferris wheel and practically forced her to sit. I wanted to throw some dynamite at him but I might hit Miharu. It was easier to hide as they walked around but it was harder while they were on the Ferris wheel.

The wheel began to turn slowly. Several times it stopped so people could get on and off. I pulled out a pair of binoculars and zoomed in on them. Ts'aan mumbled something in her ear but she pushed him aside. I could tell she was trying to hold herself back in punching him. Ts'aan leaned in closer and closer. Finally, his lips touched her. My heart leapt out of my chest. He KISSED her. I want to-

I picked the binoculars back up. Miharu pulled her fist back and pushed it forward until her fist made contact with Ts'aan's face.

"DON'T YOU EVER KISS ME AGAIN!" Miharu screamed. She climbed her way out of the bars. One of the men at the bottom tried yelling at her to sit down. Miharu wasn't listening. She jumped out of the box and jumped onto one pole after the other until her feet finally touched the ground. The dirty stuffed animal still clutched in her hand.

"Wow," I sighed. Miharu swung around and I realized I had been caught. I was standing out in the open now.

"What are you doing here?" Miharu asked.

"I-uh-" I had to think fast. I tried to think of something like the Tenth had ordered me to come but that was a lie. I could never do that to the Tenth. Thankfully, Miharu stopped me before I could finish.

"Do you know of any good places with a big fire that I can toss this into?" She asked holding up the stuffed animal. I smiled.

"Yeah, I know just the place."

POV: Ryohei

While Gokudera went to follow Miharu, I continued to follow Sayomi and Culpo. I hated Culpo. He continually tried to hold Sayomi's hand but she continued to move her head out of the way. I wanted to punch him to the extreme! But I had to stay hidden. I could stay hidden for hours without getting caught.

Culpo led Sayomi to one of the love seats. He placed his arm on the back of the seat and placed it behind her head. I could tell to the extreme that Sayomi was uncomfortable. Culpo moved in closer and closer. I wasn't going to do it. I wanted to punch him right then and there to the extreme but Octopus head said we had stay low and hidden. Culpo moved in closer. His lips pursed out. That was the last straw to the extreme!

POV: Sayomi

Culpo moved his lips closer to mine. I didn't want this. I didn't want this date. I didn't want him and I surely did _not_ want him kissing me. I closed my eyes and waited. But something, or should I say someone, stopped Culpo.

"STOP KISSING HER TO THE EXTREME!" Out of nowhere, Ryohei jumped up and continuously punched Culpo in the face.

"Ryohei!" I screamed. "Stop! He's had enough!" Ryohei stopped and turned me. He seemed a little proud of what he had done. Culpo stood back up and wiped blood from his nose.

"You're going to pay for that!" Culpo gritted through his teeth.

"Bring it on! I'll beat you to the ground to the extreme!" Ryohei tried again for another punch but I placed my hand on his arm.

"Don't." I begged. I didn't want them to fight. It wasn't for Culpo's sake. It was for Ryohei's. Ryohei barely had any training. He was stubborn and determined but Culpo was strong. I feared for Ryohei. "Let's just go home."

"What about our date?" Culpo asked.

"What about it?" I asked. "As far as I'm concerned, it's over. Goodnight, Culpo. Come on, Ryohei." I took Ryohei's hand and the two of us began to walk home. Neither one of us said anything for a long while. We were about half way to my house before Ryohei finally said something.

"I could have beaten him to the extreme!" Ryohei pounded his fists together but I just smiled.

"No," I told him, "You still need training. Don't worry. You'll get your chance." Ryohei just grunted. I could tell he wanted to fight. In was in his nature. In a way, he was like someone else I knew. "You know," I smiled trying to change the subject, "you remind me a lot of my father. When I was eight, my mom left so my father was left to raise me and my sisters. You're just like him. He _loves _to fight. That's why my sisters and I are so good at it. He always made time for us."

"Maybe someday your father and I can fight." Ryohei rested his hands behind his head as he was lost in thought. I smiled. My father would win but it would be interesting to see the two of them go at it.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Maybe." We stopped and I pointed up at a small building. It wasn't much but it was big enough for me and Miharu. "Well," I looked up at the building. "This is me." I sighed and turned to Ryohei. For a moment, I thought I saw something in him that was different. That wasn't "extreme" or that wasn't a look like he wanted to fight. It was just different. He and I just looked at each other. I just chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for today, Ryohei." I walked through the gate and headed upstairs.

"So," A familiar voice said as I walked through the door. I turned and smiled at Miharu sitting in her chair. A seared and charcoal black blob rested right by her feet. "How was your night?"

"Fine. What's that?" I asked, pointing to the black blog.

"Oh this?" She picked up the blog and brought it to me as I could see it better. "This is the stuffed animal Ts'aan won for even after I told him I didn't want one. Gokudera took me to this great place with a big fire." I imagined him taking her to some incinerator of some kind from some factory. "And the animal just _slipped_ into the fire." Miharu shrugged. "I thought Ts'aan might want it back." She smiled and tossed the blog over her shoulder.

"Good idea." I told her. The day started horrible but it ended not as bad as I thought.


	5. Chapter 5: Pineapples

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 5 {Pineapples}

It had been days since the date with Culpo and Ts'aan. Ts'aan wasn't very happy with the left over teddy bear that was given to him by Gokudera. I didn't need to ask Miharu why she didn't do it. It was simple. Miharu simply didn't want to deal with the guy. She had been dealing with him every day since we had arrived at the school and the very moment when he tried to kiss her had been the last straw.

The current morning, I had walked into the Sawada home like it _was_ my home. Then again, Tsuna's mother practically treated Miharu and I like family. Miharu walked in right behind me. Instantly, I could smell freshly made breakfast coming from the kitchen.

"Ah, good morning, girls." Tsuna's mother greeted as we sat at the kitchen table. "Help yourself to some breakfast."

Reborn, Bianchi, Fuuta, Lambo and Ipin were already seated at the table eating their breakfast. "Momma!" Lambo called. "Lambo wants more!" Miharu sighed and shook her head at her brother's manners.

"Lambo, be nice." She told him. Lambo stuck his tongue out at her and Miharu returned the favor.

"Oi! Reborn! I don't remember asking for a wake-up call." Tsuna whined as he walked into the kitchen. He was still in his pajamas and he was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. When he looked at me and Miharu, he seemed shocked. Miharu and I had planned to train him some more. Today was Saturday which meant there was no school and Tsuna didn't have any plans; at least to Miharu, Reborn and I. "Hiiiiii!" Tsuna nearly fell over when he saw us. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Training!" Miharu cheered with food in her mouth. I rolled my eyes at Miharu's manners. She was almost like her brother. I swallowed my bite and took a sip of my drink.

"Miharu and I are training you today. Didn't Reborn tell you?" I asked and turned to Reborn. The infant hitman lowered his head but he just smiled. Clearly, he hadn't.

"Oh, alright," Tsuna sighed, "but I'm going to take some food to Chrome first." Miharu and I stopped eating and looked at the Tenth. Who was Chrome? Why did he need to take her food?

"Do her parents not feed her?" I asked. I could sense Miharu was beginning to get a little upset. But Reborn was there to comfort Miharu's thoughts.

"No," Reborn answered for Tsuna, "Chrome is the Mist Guardian." Miharu and I looked at each. The Mist Guardian? I wanted to ask him why he didn't tell us about her but I figured he didn't really get around to it. Then again, we didn't really ask him. I placed my empty plate in the sink and turned back to Tsuna.

"We're going with you." I informed him. Tsuna was shocked again but Reborn just smiled. "Tsuna, we must meet _every_ Vongola Guardian. We're going with you." Tsuna smiled and nodded as he agreed. Miharu and I helped Tsuna prepare a meal. We cooked anything and everything. Tsuna's mother even helped though she didn't bother asking who it was for. She just helped us. Bianchi even asked to help but none of us thought it was a good idea. Thankfully, Reborn told her it was alright. We had enough help. She seemed fine with his statement and left it at that.

The walk to Kokuyo Land was a little far but it was nice. Well, sort of. The closer we got to Kokuyo Land the more worried I was becoming for this Chrome girl. When we reached the building, my worries were confirmed. The building was run down, hardly looked livable and didn't seem to have any form of life anywhere. The birds didn't even bother making it their perch.

"This is where she lives?" Miharu asked shocked. I was too speechless for words, myself. Tsuna looked straight ahead and just nodded. This was unavoidable. I couldn't let this go. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

The three of us walked into the building but, again, there didn't seem to be any sign of life. That is, until, two boys jumped out of nowhere.

"Hey!" A blonde boy yelled at us. "What are you doing here?" The boy and his friend looked at us but the blonde boy began sniffing the air. It was almost the same way a hound would smell food. His friend was thin and looked almost bored. A small barcode tattoo was imprinted on the side of his cheek. I was almost tempted to drag him to a grocery store and run his tattoo underneath a scanner.

"This is Ken and Chikusa." Tsuna informed. "They're friends of Chrome's." The one called Ken continued to sniff the air as if trying to figure out what new smell had reached the air.

"Rice balls?" He asked. "Chicken? Beef? Hmm," he smiled and looked at the bento box in my hand. "Smells delicious." Miharu stepped in between the two of them to protect the food.

"The contents in these bentos don't belong to you. They belong to the Mist Guardian: Chrome." Ken glared at Miharu and tried to get past her but she would move in every direction the boy would try to turn.

"Boss," I heard a small voice say. Tsuna looked past Chikusa and Ken. I looked to where he was looking and noticed a very thin girl. Her voice was soft and her body looked fragile. So fragile, in fact, that it was as if she would break with one wrong move. She was in a state much worse than I had imagined.

"Chrome!" Tsuna smiled and walked over to her.

"Hey!" Ken yelled but Tsuna ignored him.

"I'm glad you're alright. We brought you some food." Tsuna told her and held up one of her boxes.

"Thank you very much," she said in her small voice. Chrome took the small box and gestured for us to follow her. Ken and Chikusa didn't seem very interested and walked their own way. Though, I could tell they wanted to keep a watchful eye on us in case we were going to attack Chrome or something. In her state, I was afraid to even touch her. Chrome took us to a big room with red ragged and torn curtains. In the middle of the room, sat an old couch that had been worn out but I could tell someone still slept in it every night. And I could take a pretty good guess who that person was.

It was hard getting her to eat but we finally got her to. She was a shy girl and barely said a word. It even took awhile for her to warm up to us since we were the strangers to her. Miharu almost yelled at her for not saying anything but I stopped my friend before she could. At one point, I looked around the room just to take it all in. This was **not** a place a guardian should stay but if I took her in I would feel obligated to take in the other two boys. That's when I got an idea.

"Miharu," I said, "can I talk to you for a minute over there?" Miharu nodded and we excused ourselves from Tsuna and Chrome. "Miharu, I don't like this." I whispered to her. "Chrome shouldn't be living here. She doesn't having anything to eat here. From what it looks like, the only food she gets is from whoever brings it to her and she sleeps on an old couch that's broken down and can't possibly be comfortable."

"What are you suggesting? Divine intervention?" Miharu asked and I nodded. It was the only thing we could really do for the sake of this girl. No guardian was going to die on our watch. The two of us walked over to Chrome who was, still, barely eating.

"Chrome," I smiled. I hadn't even told her and I was already feeling better about my decision. "We're going to take you shopping."

"Eh? Shopping?" Tsuna asked.

"Yes," I informed him, "shopping. We're going shopping for food and furniture. No guardian of the tenth's is going to be living in this place without the proper items. Tsuna," I turned to the Tenth who seemed to be smiling at us. Cleary, he was satisfied with our decision. "You may accompany us if you'd like. We shall train you tomorrow but right now we have something more important to take care of." Chrome's expression was too hard to read. I couldn't tell if she was shocked in a good way or a bad way. She looked at Tsuna who smiled at her.

"That's wonderful Chrome. That way you can be more comfortable at night." The small girl smiled and followed us out though we didn't get very far.

"Hey!" Ken shouted as he ran towards us. Chikusa continued to look bored and decided to walk instead of run. "Where do you think you're taking Chrome?"

"To the store. We're buying her food and furniture. You can come if you want." I shrugged. I figured they would have tried to fight us if we tried to take her anywhere without them.

"Of course we're going with you." Ken glared. Chikusa just nodded and placed his hands in his pockets. It seemed we were having two more people tagging along. The whole way there was pretty quiet. I tried to get Chrome to talk but she would just nod her head. The girl barely even smiled. I worried for her, though I barely knew her.

At the store, Miharu and I split up. We were excellent shoppers. Though, that just meant we got our shopping done in record time. I filled up as many carts as I could with food. "What's your favorite kind of food?" I asked Chrome.

"Chocolate." She said. Though, I think that's what she said. Sometimes it was hard to understand her because she was so quiet. I grabbed a few things of chocolate and continued on.

"Chrome," I began, still trying to get her to talk, "are you alright? I mean, those boys that we brought with us don't hurt you do they?" Chrome's head shot up and she shook her head.

"No, they're my friends." I had no choice but to believe her. She just seemed like she had been beaten or abused somehow. Though, there didn't really seem to be any sign of abuse. I didn't even know why I asked.

"Alright, I'm sorry I asked. I know I don't know you but you're very thin. I'm just worried for you. I just want to make sure you're all right." The two of us continued to walk down the aisles, her head hung low.

"Thank you," she said as quiet as a mouse. I was about to change the subject when I heard a familiar voice scream.

"HOLD STILL!" Chrome and I ran toward the front of the store. I couldn't believe it. My best friend had given in. Chikusa was pinned, face down, at the register. His face was smashed against the scanner. Miharu was trying to get a reading on his bar code tattoo.

"Hey!" Ken yelled as he tried to get her off of Chikusa. "Get off of him!" Miharu punched Ken. The blonde boy fell backwards and glared at my friend. Miharu, once again, smashed Chikusa's face back onto the scanner.

"I HAVE TO KNOW! NOW HOLD STILL!" She continued to shout.

"Miharu!" I shouted. This wasn't good. If she didn't stop, she would get us kicked out and we wouldn't be allowed to buy Chrome all the food we had spent a good deal of time on getting. Miharu looked up at me as she was caught in the act.

_Beep_. The scanner dinged. Miharu released Chikusa and stared up at the screen.

_Pineapples - $4.73._

Miharu and I blinked at the screen. Pineapples? Really? That was something I really wasn't expecting. Then again, I wasn't even sure if I expected it to read anything. Chikusa rubbed his cheek where Miharu had slammed his face in.

"If you're done, I'd very much like to leave." Chikusa sighed. I had no objections. Tsuna ran up to us panting. He must have been all the way in the back of the store to have finally just caught up.

"What happened?" He asked. Miharu said nothing as she began to check out the items in her cart. The small girl at the cash register didn't really know what to say. A little show like that was not seen in everyday life.

"Nothing," I smiled and shook my head.

We left the grocery store and moved onto the furniture store. Ken and Chikusa decided not to join this time, afraid of what else we might have done to them. I kept close to Chrome. It took a while for her to actually open up to me. Well, as much as she would ever open up to. It almost seemed as if she wasn't used to all this attention. She was just used to the two boys who didn't seem to treat her very well.

"What about this one?" I asked again as I pointed to another couch. "Here, have a seat." I sat down and patted the cushion next to me. Miharu plopped down on the small sofa chair nearby. Chrome sat down and looked down at her hands. "Chrome?" I asked. "What's wrong?" She said nothing at first. "It's ok. Whatever it is, you can tell us."

"Thank you," she said in her small voice. "For doing this."

"Of course!" I placed an arm around her tiny shoulder. The small girl looked up at me. "We hate seeing you living in a place like Kokuyo Land where nothing is comfortable." For the first time all day, a small smile formed on her lips. It wasn't much but it was better. "So," I said clapping my hands together. "What do you think of this one?"


	6. Chapter 6: Uncle Reborn

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 6 {Uncle Reborn}

It had been a few days since Miharu and I had helped Chrome out. She loved her new furniture and the boys seemed to be happy with the fact that they had food in their "home." Miharu and I returned to school like it was any other day. We walked into our classroom and Miharu and I both noticed a crowd of people hovering over our desks. Most of them were girls, which seemed to worry me.

"Excuse us," Miharu pushed through and paused. I moved around her to see what she was looking at. There on my desk was a gold necklace with a small note attached to it.

_I know this is a little late but better late than never. _

_Thanks for the date. It was fun._

"Who's it from?" A girl asked. I turned the paper over but there was no signature or even an initial.

"How romantic." One of the other girls sighed. I picked up the necklace and looked around the classroom. Could this have been from Ryohei? But how did he get it? Where did he get it?

The teacher walked in and we were forced to take our seats. I couldn't stop staring at the necklace in front of me. Miharu nudged me and I looked up at the teacher who had, clearly, been talking to me. The teacher repeated the question and I answered it the best of my abilities. Thankfully, I had done my homework and knew what the answer was.

After class, Miharu and I headed towards home but we didn't get very far.

"Sayomi!" A voice called from behind me. Culpo, no longer in disguise, ran towards us. It seemed a little strange that he wasn't surrounded by his normal crowd. "Miharu, may I speak with Sayomi for a moment?" I looked at Miharu who rolled her eyes and continued to walk forward.

"Can I help you?" I asked, not too happy. Culpo sighed at my attitude, clearly remembering the past.

"Look, I'm sorry about the date. I still have feelings for you. I just hope one day you can forgive me." Culpo pulled out a single White Lotus flower and handed it to me. Gently, he kissed my cheek and walked off. Suddenly, I was my old self again. The old me that had feelings for him. That fell for every, little thing he said and did.

I ran and caught up to Miharu. She smiled but when she saw I wasn't smiling back her face changed. "What's wrong?" She asked. I retold her everything that Culpo said and did. The fact that the Lotus flower was from him didn't impress her let alone the fact that he still had feelings for me.

"You're setting yourself up," she told me. "He's playing you, Sayomi. Don't fall for it." Something was telling me I already had but I didn't tell her that. One the way home, I bought a bag of sour gummy worms and began eating them. Miharu bought a bag of lollipops and began chopping on one right after the other. I was tearing the heads off of my gummy words. A constant habit for the two of us when we were upset. Miharu and I were beginning a heated discussion.

"He's playing you, Sayomi." Miharu informed me for the millionth time as she bit into another lollipop. I ripped the head of one of the gummy worms out of frustration.

"You don't know that," I told her. "Technically, he never mistreated me." I couldn't tell if I was trying to convince her more than I was myself. He really never did mistreat me. He was kind, loving, always bought me flowers and candy. Culpo was gentleman. The only real turning point was when his father disowned him as a son. It was hard on all of us. Culpo had turned to me, especially, but when he needed me the most I couldn't do it.

"That still doesn't defeat the fact that he went psycho after his father threw him out." Miharu added. We walked into our apartment and I smiled. There on the kitchen counter was a bag of gummy worms for me and a bag of lollipops for Miharu.

_Thought you two might need these after today. _

I looked over at my best friend who was already opening the new bag. They were her favorite flavor and brand. A brand that wasn't in Japan. They were only found in Italy. She took one out and, instead of chewing on it, she simply placed it in her mouth. A sign she was calming down.

"This means nothing." Miharu stated and walked off to her room to start on her homework. I smiled and grabbed the new bag of gummy worms. When I turned them over, I noticed another note on the back.

_I just hope one day we can start again._

_~C._

~Meanwhile~

Back at the hotel room suite, Culpo sat in his room watching TV. The others were downstairs and had mentioned he wanted to be alone. A small knock sounded on the door.

"Open," he simply stated as he flipped through another channel. The door opened and T'saan popped his head in. "Did you deliver it?"

"Yea, I left it on the kitchen counter as requested." T'saan informed him.

"Good. And the notes?" He asked, his eyes still not leaving the TV screen.

"Right where you wanted me to. Luxura wrote the notes herself." The door opened wider and revealed Luxura behind T'saan.

"Though, I didn't like it." She stated in disgust. Sayomi was not her favorite person. In fact, she was her least. Culpo made no sign of recognition. He just continued to flip through each channel, seeing nothing to spark his interest. Luxura nudged T'saan and gave him a gesture to leave. T'saan took this as a sign she wanted to be left alone with him and did just that. Luxura closed the door and sat next to her leader.

"Darling, why don't you and I do something?" She asked as she began to stroke the side of his head. "I know just the thing that will cheer you up."

"I'm not in the mood."

~The next Day

Sayomi's POV

The next day, the two of us feeling a little better, headed toward school. Once again, I was stopped by Culpo. Though something was different about him and I didn't like it. He seemed to have a more determination in his eyes.

"May I speak with you please?" He asked. Miharu walked on ahead but I knew she wouldn't be far. She, too, noticed what I had and didn't like it one bit. "Sayomi, I don't really know how to ask this so I'm just going to ask." He paused and looked around for Miharu but he couldn't see her. I, on the other hand, knew _exactly _ where she was. Culpo looked over to me, his face very serious. "I want you to join my family."

I blinked at him. Was he serious? If I was confused about him, I no longer was. This was just like before. I looked over to where Miharu had popped her head out. She had overheard and was shaking her head. I didn't need telling twice.

"You're insane." I told him, looking back at him. "This again? Culpo, I never want to join your mafia family. Besides, I'm already in one." I started to walk off but he gripped my arm a little too tightly. "Ow! Culpo, let go." I ordered. Miharu was about to run over to me but I put my hand up to stop her. This, I could handle.

"Sayomi, I _need_ you to join my family. If you don't, one of your new friends will feel the consequences." I glared at him and tore my arm away from his grip.

"You won't touch any of my friends because none of your little posy will beat them." I walked off and prayed I was right. I hoped he would have taken my comment to mind and not hurt any of the others. Then again, they were all good fighters. I had seen this through their training. Even Tsuna, though the weakest, still had a big enough heart to defeat anyone. Not to mention, he had Reborn to watch over him. Suddenly, I wasn't so worried any more.

"You alright?" Miharu asked as she had caught up to me. She looked at my arm for any bruises but I just waved it off.

"I'm fine." I told her. What I wouldn't give for a bag of gummy worms.

For the first few hours, I wasn't so worried about Culpo and his friends. He, T'saan and Luxura were in class which meant they couldn't touch any of my friends. Though, when Miharu, Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto and the other Guardians and I were called to the office I began to fear.

"Your uncle called the school," the principle told us, "and informed us it was an emergency for all of you. A car is waiting outside to take you to the hospital." My heart skipped a beat. None of us could believe it. We all ran to the limo that took us to the hospital. Reborn was waiting outside, his hat covering his face. That's when I understood who our "uncle" was that had called the school.

"Reborn!" Tsuna called as he ran up to him. "What happened?"

"Follow me." Reborn stated. We followed him up to the fourth floor. Room 423. Two other boys were standing in the corner as we walked in. The blonde boy I had met only once stood by the window, afraid to look at whoever was in the bed. I looked over at Bianchi who sat in a chair near the bedside. Her own hand clutched a small one. That's when I saw who was in the bed.

"Chrome," I sighed. This was all my fault. "Reborn, who did this?" Reborn stood on the bed, hands in his pockets and looked over at Chrome.

"You know her as Ira. She works for Culpo." Reborn stated. That's when my fear was confirmed. Culpo really had done what he had said. He had hurt one of my friends. She was the weakest one and, therefore, vulnerable to any attack. I didn't know how much fighting experience she had. Now I knew and wished I had trained her more.

"Reborn, this doesn't make any sense." Gokudera thought aloud. "Usually, Mukuro fights for her."

"Bianchi," Reborn said, "what did the doctor say?" Bianchi kept her eyes on Chrome and rubbed her hand.

"Her organs are failing. She may not live through tomorrow." She said. Ken slammed his hand on the window.

"Hey, why isn't Mukuro helping her?" He yelled out of frustration. Who was this Mukuro? And why was it so important that he was to help her?

"Who's Mukuro?" Miharu asked. Tsuna was the first to respond.

"It's hard to explain but-" he began but Reborn finished for him.

"Rokudo Mukuro is skilled in illusions. He takes over Chromes body to fight. More importantly he helps create the illusion of her body to have organs so she can live." This still didn't make any sense. We needed to find him before it was too late.

"Where is he?" I asked. "Why isn't he here?"

"He's been in Vindicare prison for a few years but still manages to create these illusions. Something has gone wrong over there in the prison to prevent Mukuro from doing as such."

We stayed there with Chrome a little longer but she never woke up. The rain poured as I walked outside. We all had gone in our own directions to clear our minds. As I continued to walk, I noticed Ryohei sitting outside of his house without an umbrella. I didn't have one either. It seemed we both had the same idea. The rain didn't seem so bad after hearing the news about Chrome.

"Hey," I said. Ryohei looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"You want to have a seat?" He asked scooting over. I sat down but said nothing. I couldn't help but wonder if there was something I could do for Chrome.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" I asked aloud. Ryohei looked over to me and raised his fists in the air.

"I believe it to the extreme! She's a tough fighter. Mukuro's going to pull through!" I smiled but it wasn't a big one. I admired his optimism but I still wasn't all too sure. Who knew what was going on in that prison? I was about to say something but Miharu and Gokudera ran up to us.

"There you are!" Miharu smiled. "Gokudera and I were talking and we have a plan." She paused and looked at Gokudera as if to hint for him to say it.

"We're going to break Mukuro out!" Gokudera smiled. Ryohei jumped up and clenched his fist.

"Let's do it to the extreme!" He yelled. They all looked at me. I stood up and smiled.

"Let's do it."


	7. Chapter 7: Special Classification

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 7 {Special Classification}

The plan was for Ryohei, Gokudera, Miharu and I to sneak into the prison, break out Mukuro without getting caught and without telling Tsuna or Reborn. If Reborn found out, he would stop us for sure. When we told Gokudera he couldn't tell Tsuna, he was a little devastated that he had to keep a secret from the Tenth. He looked up to Tsuna and hated keeping things from him. We informed him that it wouldn't be for long. He would have to find out eventually.

Right as night fall hit, the four of us hurried on to Vindicare prison. The guards at the front were easy to get past. They were too busy watching some show on a small portable TV. The guards at the actual front of the prison doors were another thing. The four of us snuck around the back to try and figure out what to do next.

"Any ideas?" I whispered. Gokudera looked around and smiled.

"Follow me," he instructed. The four of us did and he led us to a vent on the side that the rest of us missed. We crept through the vents slowly and as carefully as we could not to make a sound.

"Wait!" I whispered when I saw something we could use. "Miharu," I said to her and made a gesture for her to follow me and for the boys to stay put. I opened one of the vents that happened to lead to a locker room and carefully eased my way in. It seemed quiet. A little too quiet which meant we had to work fast. I was more than sure there weren't any cameras in the locker room due to privacy of the workers. Miharu followed me but still wasn't sure what I was planning. I grabbed a doctor's robe and mask and she did the same finally clueing in. Who knew if we might need them or not?

We climbed back through the vent and, just as we the vent closed behind us, the locker room door swung open as two men walked through.

"Hey Jerry," one man asked the other, "did you get those test results back yet?"

"The one for Rokudo Mukuro? Not yet. Though, Leroy wants to run more tests because he says he's got a hunch. So I gave the kid another dose to keep him sedated." The other explained. This didn't sound good at all. Though, it would have explained why he wasn't able to help Chrome in anyway and it might have even explained why he didn't help her when Ira attacked.

"Ha," the first man laughed, "oh Leroy and his hunches." The two men grabbed a few things out of their lockers and left. I looked at the others and pointed ahead of us. We had to keep going and we had to move fast. We continued on, carefully looking through all the other vents to see anything but all we saw were experiment rooms, rooms with animals, one room with some sort of tank big enough to fit almost any type of shark and then a cafeteria where only a few of the late night workers were. Finally, Ryohei was the first one to spot it.

"Oi!" He whispered and pointed. In a small white room, a boy who looked not much older than us lied flat on a cold steal table. One of his arms was hooked up to a machine that dumped some sort of liquid into his veins. I assumed it was the "drug" one of the men had discussed.

"They must have taken him out of the tank." Gokudera muttered. I was going to ask what he was talking about but decided against it. Now wasn't the time. I looked around the room, trying to see if anyone was in there but right as I was about to open the vent Miharu nstopped me and pointed. There in the upper corner of the ceiling sat a camera that turned from side to side. There had to be another way. Then I remembered Miharu and I still had the cloaks and masks we had taken from the locker room. I informed the boys of our plan, they would have to stay behind, but they had no objections. Our options were few and our time was short.

Miharu and I climbed back through the vents and found a locker room with no one in it. We climbed through the vent and quickly put on the cloak and masks before walking out. We had no clue where Mukuro was but we had to, at least, try to find him.

"Hey," a voice said behind us. Miharu and I were forced to stop. If we ran, it would be too suspicious and we would get caught. We turned around and the man walked over to us. So far he didn't have any suspicions because he seemed to act casual as he spoke with us. "Do you know what tests we were going to run on Rokudo Mukuro?" I looked at my companion who looked at me.

"Ask Leroy." I said as I tried to disguise my voice. "He said he had a hunch with something."

"Oh right. Him and his hunches." The man laughed. Miharu and I nodded and forced a small laugh ourselves. The man suddenly stopped and tried to get a good look at us. "I haven't seen you two around here. Are you new?"

"Yes, we're new." Miharu said, disguising her voice as well. She leaned in closer as if to whisper. "Special classification." The man nodded as he understood. Thankfully, he was able to fill in the blanks we hadn't.

"Right. Well thanks!" He waved and turned to walk off. Miharu and I turned and picked up our pace. We opened a door and found Mukuro lying on the bed. Miharu slipped around the room and unplugged the camera while I took the needle out of Mukuro's arm.

"Nice going back there." I told her.

"Thanks," she said and opened the vent for the boys to get through. The four of us placed Mukuro on the gurney that was still in the room. Ryohei and Gokudera grabbed a cloak and a mask from one of the drawers and the four of us began to wheel Mukuro out. The only problem now was how were we going to get him out without getting caught? "Five mintues," Miharu explained as we wheeled him through the halls.

Finally, I spotted an exit door. It was the first solution I could think of and we didn't have that much time. But right as we opened the door, sirens sounded throughout the entire building. Forget five minutes, we barely had five seconds. We ran with the gurney as fast and as far as we could but we were forced to stop once we hit the grass. The gurney wouldn't move any more. Ryohei and Gokudera picked up Mukuro and continued to run with him through the forest. Miharu and I followed. Dogs started barking and I knew they were bringing out the blood hounds. It wouldn't be long before the dogs caught wind of our sent.

We all ran as fast as we could. Gokudera and Ryohei had the worst trouble. It wasn't easy running with a body in your arms. Finally when we reached the road, a car stopped in front of us. We were doomed. This was it. We were caught and Miharu and I would be deported back to Italy. If we were lucky.

The passenger's side window rolled down to reveal and older looking man. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Get in," he told us. The boys jumped in and Miharu and I climbed in as well.

"You're-" I began but couldn't even finish my sentence, I was too speechless.

"The Bucking Bronco!" Miharu finished for me. The driver, a man in a regular suit, began to drive the car back toward home. The Bucking Bronco just laughed and nodded.

"Yes, but just call me Dino," he smiled. "Reborn asked me to come and pick you five up." I blinked at him. So Reborn really did know everything and he really did nothing to stop us. In fact, he had helped us by sending in reinforcements.

Dino's driver, who I learned was Romario, took us back to our apartment where Mukuro was staying. We thought it best he stayed with us seeing as how he was going to be a wanted criminal by morning. The boys brought him inside the house and placed him on one of the beds. Miharu and I would have to share her bed but neither one of us minded. Though, I ended up not really going to bed. I sat by Mukuro almost the whole night. I felt so guilty about Chrome. It was my fault she was hurt. Eventually, I fell asleep in my chair.

Around near dawn, before the sun was even up, I awoke to a voice.

"Who are you?" I opened my eyes and jumped when the blue headed boy was staring at me. For a moment, I didn't answer. I couldn't help but look at his different eyes. One was blue, which wasn't all that bad, but the other was red and had a symbol on it. I decided not to ask about it because I figured I would come off as being rude.

"I'm Mizushama Sayomi. My friends and I helped you out of Vindicare because Chrome's in trouble. She's very sick and I was told you were the one to help her." Mukuro lied his head back down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling with a small smile. At least, I think it was a smile.

"She's fine now." He simply said. I didn't really understand how he could know that but I had no choice but to trust him.

"Thank you," I said. "And I'm sorry about Chrome. It was my fault she was hurt. I should have been there."

"It is your fault," he said, both his eyes now back on me. "But you helped me escape from Vindicare prison which means I won't kill you." I tried not to laugh. It would have been interesting to see him try. "You also took care of my Chrome. You gave her a bed and food for her to eat." I blinked at him. How did he know? He tried to get up but I pushed him down.

"No! Stay down. You still need more rest. They gave you a big dose in order to sedate you." Mukuro sunk back down into the bed and sighed out of frustration. Where did he have to go? Was there some important meeting he just couldn't miss? "I'll go get you something to eat." I went into the kitchen to make him a small sandwich but when I returned the bed was empty. The window was opened. Mukuro was gone.

When Miharu awoke, I told her all that happened with Mukuro. She didn't seem too worried and neither did I. We headed to school and found Tsuna and the others. In the middle of the night, we learned there had been another attack. Someone had broken into Yamamoto's house and hurt his father. Thankfully, his father knew how to defend himself and wasn't badly injured. Tsuna still seemed a little bit upset. We all were. Gokudera even tried to hurt Culpo for hurting Chrome.

After school, Miharu and I followed Tsuna home. He barely said anything all day. He walked into his house and placed his backpack at the door. His mother, of course, was busy in the kitchen cooking something. Reborn sat on one of the stairs. No one said a word. That is, until, Bianchi walked in, wearing orange goggles, with news about Chrome.

"Tsuna, the doctor's said her organs are getting better but she's still unconscious." That just confirmed how badly she was truly hurt. I could tell Tsuna understood this and slammed his hands on the wall.

"No more." He muttered. I wanted to comfort him but I didn't know what to say. "Why must my friends always get hurt?"

"Tsuna," Reborn said to get his attention, "there is a way to keep them all safe." Tsuna looked over at Reborn as if trying to understand what Reborn was getting at.

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna asked. Reborn just smiled and headed upstairs. "Oi! Reborn! You still haven't answered my question yet!" Tsuna followed him upstairs. I turned to Miharu and she seemed to have the same thought I did. It was best we both left for home. But when we finally did reach home, I didn't want to go in. Instead, I went for a walk. I thought of all sorts of things. Culpo and how I hated him. I thought of Chrome, hoping she was alright and I thought of the others. They all still needed training but how was I going to do that?

"Oi!" I heard behind me. I turned as Ryohei ran to catch up. "What are you doing out this late?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Ryohei stopped in front of me but he continued to jog in place.

"I always go out for a run at night. Care to join me?" He asked. I smiled at a better idea.

"Want to race?" His ears perked up at the thought of a competition. "First one to the beach wins."

"I accept to the extreme!" Ryohei hadn't even finished his sentence before I was off running, laughing the whole way. "Oi! That's cheating to the extreme!" He yelled though he was still laughing. We both ran so fast, we were neck and neck. Needless to say, it ended up being a tie. He was good, then again, so was I. We stopped at the beach and sat in the sand to watch the sun set. We sat in silence for what seemed like hours. The sun was starting to sink behind the water. It was beautiful but I couldn't really enjoy it.

"Oi, you alright?" Ryohei asked. I looked over at him, forgetting he was even there.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Ryohei gave me a look of disbelief. I smiled and shrugged. There _were_ a lot of things on my mind. I was worried about Chrome. I was worried Culpo would hurt someone else. He had, after all, tried to hurt Yamamoto's father. Who knew if he was going to try again? I didn't doubt he would. "I'm just worried about everyone." I sighed. "Chrome, Tsuna, Gokudera, Mikuru," I paused and looked at Ryohei, "you." I felt something for him but I couldn't really understand what it was.

"We're all great fighters to the extreme!" Again, I smiled at his optimism but it wasn't helping very much. Culpo was strong and he would do anything to get his way. I knew him too well. I was about to say something else to Ryohei but someone stopped me.

"Reborn?" The small Mafia tutor walked onto the beach and stopped in front of us.

"You two should come with me. There's something the Guardians all need to discuss."


	8. Chapter 8: Tolerate

**Arthor's note: I am SOO sorry this took forever. I promise to try and update more. Sorry to keep you all waiting but I do appreciate everyone's comments. They help a lot with my urge to write. **

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 8 {Tol-er-ate}

It didn't take long for all of us to gather together. In fact, once Ryohei and I had walked into Tsuna's house, everyone else was already there. Everyone sat in the living room as they waited for us. Reborn sat next to Tsuna. I was the first to say something.

"Tsuna, it's my fault Chrome was hurt. If it wasn't for me coming here, Culpo wouldn't have come and none of this would have happened. I'm sorry." Tsuna smiled and shook his head.

"It's not your fault and Chrome is fine now. The doctors said she was getting better. And don't worry about Culpo. We know what to do." Tsuna turned to the others and I could tell he was trying to stay positive. "Right now we need to visit Chrome. The doctors say she's awake now." He was right; as always. Besides, it would be good if I went and really apologized to Chrome.

Dino took us all to the hospital in his limo. It was loud and crowded. Lambo was fighting with Gokudera about the windows, which ones should be opened and which ones should be closed. Tsuna was trying to calm them down. Yamamoto was laughing, Ryohei was egging them on and Mihura and Ipin were trying to calm down Lambo. It wasn't working.

I was the only one who hadn't said anything. I just looked out the window thinking about Chrome and Culpo. What was I going to do about him? I couldn't take him on by myself. I didn't even think the others could take him on. Not even Tsuna. They weren't strong enough just yet. Even with the proper training who knew if they could really beat him.

When we arrived at the hospital, I almost couldn't get out of the car. For some reason, I was nervous; almost like I couldn't face her. Miharu popped her head back in the car and grabbed my shirt to drag me out.

"If you don't do it now, you'll never do it."Miharu stated. I nodded and took a deep breath before I walked in with the rest of them.

Chrome looked awful but better than she did. Some of the swelling had gone down and her eyes were actually opened. It was progress. Kyoko and Haru were already there when we arrived as well as Ken, Chiksa, and Bianchi. Chrome's bed was surrounded with flowers and get well cards; mostly from Bianchi, Kyoko and Haru. Chiksa leaned against the window while Ken nearly stood in the back of the room.

"Hey, how could you have gotten hurt? That's so like you." Ken grumbled.

"Hey! Lay off, man! It wasn't her fault!" Miharu yelled. I held her back. Now was not the best time to get in a fight. We all stayed for awhile, talking around Chrome or talking to her. Most of the time she didn't say anything. She never really said anything anyway. Chrome was quiet but she was a sweet girl. When it was time to go, everyone headed out except for me. I still had that guilt hanging from my shoulders.

"Chrome, I'm sorry what happened. It's my fault you were hurt." I sat down beside her and waited for her to say something but she didn't. "The person who attacked you works with an ex-boyfriend of mine. I'm the reason that he's here. He asked me to join his family and when I told him I couldn't do it, that's when you were attacked." I felt a tear fall down my cheek. "I'm sorry, Chrome." I couldn't look at her anymore. I was too ashamed.

I felt a hand carefully wipe the tear away. Chrome was looking at me with a kind expression. "It's not your fault this happened to me. Besides, I'm getting better now." And then she gave me a smile. At least, I think it was one. It was small and I almost missed it but it was there.

Later, back in the limo, everything went back to the way it had been on the way there. The boys were either yelling or laughing. Miharu was yelling at Gokudera this time because he was on the verge of beating Lambo to a pulp. I was still in my own world as I looked out of the window. I felt better. I really did. Chrome was better and now safe. Dino had sent and paid the hospital to allow his men to safely watch over her from a distance. Now the only problem was the rest of them. Not even Dino had enough men to watch over us. But Reborn seemed to have an idea.

When we arrived back at the Sawada home, Reborn had us all gather around the living room. "Culpo is bound to strike again tonight. That is why we must all sleep here." Tsuna, who was sitting next to Reborn seemed to have the same idea.

"We will all sleep in different rooms to watch all the different open doorways and windows. Dino's men will still keep a watch outside but this is just in case."

"Hey, Tsuna, let's sleep in the same room. Like a slumber party." Yamamoto laughed. Gokudera jumped up with his fist toward Yamamoto.

"Hey! I'm the Tenth's right hand man! I should sleep in the same room with him!" Gokudera yelled. Tsuna waved his hands nervously to calm him down.

"Gokudera! It's ok. You can sleep in Fuuta's room. It's right across from mine." Gokudera's eyes lit up as he seemed to agree with Tsuna. It was remarkable how much Tsuna affected his friends.

"Of course, Tenth! That's a great idea!" Gokudera piped in. Lambo turned to his sister to complain.

"I don't want Stupidera sleeping in my room! Sister, you sleep in my room." Miharu picked up her small brother and nodded.

"No! I'm sleeping in the room across from the Tenth. Even if it is with that stupid cow!" Gokudera protested. Miharu put down her brother and I could tell a fight was about to ensue.

"He's my brother and don't call him a stupid cow!" Miharu yelled. I could sense she was on the verge of punching him. Finally, I stepped in between them and held Miharu back.

"It's ok. You can both sleep in Fuuta's room. Keep the kids safe." They seemed to agree with this and left it at that. I turned to Tsuna with a confident smile. I was ready to be anywhere he needed me to be. "Where do you want me, Tsuna?" I asked.

"I think the living room would be good for you." Tsuna seemed to smile but it wasn't all the way there. I could tell he was still worried about everyone.

"And I'll join her, Tsuna." Ryohei pitched in. I found it remarkable how his friends would do anything to help Tsuna. Then again, Miharu and I were about the same. It was obvious Tsuna was stressed about the whole ordeal; as if he was blaming himself for Chrome's injury.

"Tsuna, Bianchi and I will take the Dining room." Reborn added. Bianchi gently picked him up and held him close to her cheek.

"Oh Reborn," she sighed. Again, I felt that feeling of wanting someone like that. But I had to shake it off. There were more important things to go over. As Miharu and I left to grab some things from home, I stopped and looked back at Tsuna and Dino already talking.

"Don't worry. I'll take the front door. That way I can quickly reach everyone if I have to." Dino smiled and wrapped his arm around Tsuna's shoulder. Finally, Tsuna had a feeling of relief on his face. It made me smile.

When Miharu and I returned, everyone was already in the living room just talking and laughing. As if we all really were just having a sleepover. We played games, ate some good food and everything seemed alright. It seemed to help everyone take their mind off of what was really on our minds. At one point, I looked around and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Tsuna," I asked, "where's mamma?" Tsuna smiled which made me feel better.

"Reborn sent her and Fuuta on a cruise for a few weeks. That way by the time they come back, this will hopefully all be over." Reborn really did think about everything when he wanted.

One by one everyone left to go to bed. It was getting late and we were all getting tired. When it was just Ryohei and I, I grabbed the extra pillows and blankets Tsuna left for us and placed them on the floor in front of the couch.

"You can have the couch. I'll sleep on the floor." Ryohei offered as he began to lie on the floor. It seemed as f he wouldn't be taking 'no' for an answer.

"Thanks." I told him and grabbed another blanket and pillow before settling in. It took awhile to calm my thoughts. I just felt uneasy, as if we were being watched. Finally, I had to tell myself I was worrying too much and I settled down. Little did I know I would come to a big surprise when I awoke the next morning.

Miharu's POV

Now fully changed in my familiar cow print pajamas, I headed upstairs to Fuuta's room. When I reached the door I could hear Gokudera and Lambo yelling at each other—which was no surprise—and Ipin trying to calm down Lambo. I opened the door and Gokudera stopped and cleared his throat trying to regain his maturity. Lambo looked back and forth between the two of us.

"Stupidera stop looking at sister. She thinks you're stupid too." Lambo said nonchalantly. Gokudera clenched his fist and continued to yell at my brother, his maturity completely forgotten. Lambo jumped on the bed and stuck his tongue like the adorable little five year old I know him to be.

"Ha ha, Stupidera. I get the bed." Lambo jumped underneath the covers and snuggled in deeper. Gokudera thought for a minute and smiled with an evil grin.  
"Alright you stupid cow, you can have the bed. But when the monsters come out at night, they always eat the little children in the bed first." Gokudera wiggled his fingers and inched his way closer to Lambo as he stared back with watering eyes fearfully.

"Don't tell him that, you jerk!" I yelled as a brought a tight fist onto Gokudera's head a tight fist I brought it up and then down on Gokudera's head.

"To, ler, ate…" Lambo started reciting but it didn't last long before he started crying loudly and buried himself under the blanket.

"He'll have nightmares for weeks!" Gokudera rubbed his head guiltily.

"What was that for?" He asked. A stupid question, indeed. I lifted the blanket and gently picked up my brother.

"Shh, it's ok." I soothed. Just like mom used to do. Lambo buried his head deep in my chest and I hugged him tightly. I softly began to sing the lullaby our mother used to sing to us when we were scared or couldn't sleep.

I placed my sleeping brother back in the bed and tucked him in. When I looked back at Gokudera, he was watching me; as if I had done something amazing but all I did was put my brother to sleep. I shrugged off the look. It was a common routine for our mother. She may have raised us like boys but she could still sing us to sleep any night.

Later that night, I woke up and noticed Gokudera hadn't gone to sleep yet. He was staring up at the sky and didn't seem to notice I had awakened. I crawled over and sat next to him. "Can't sleep?" I whispered. He shook his head. "What me to knock you unconscious?" Gokudera smiled and shook his head. It was strange to see him smile. He didn't do it very often but when he did; I could feel my face warm up. It was nice.

Sayomi's POV: Morning

The sun peaking its head through the glass window was as aggravating as ever. I buried my head deeper into whatever I was lying on. It took me a few minutes as I tried to piece everything together. Whatever I was lying on was warmer than a pillow. It moved up and down but it was still comfortable all the same. But I could feel that something wasn't right. Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my shoulder as whatever I was sleeping on shifted. My eyes popped open and I looked at my 'pillow.' His eyes fluttered open as they looked around before setting on mine.

"Um, good morning." Ryohei smiled a little. I got up and sat on the couch. My guess was that I had, somehow, rolled off the couch and onto the floor right next to Ryohei. I didn't really know what else to say.

"Mamma!" I heard Lambo scream across the hall. "Lambo wants food!" Lambo ran across the door way as Ipin was running after him.

"Lambo slow you have to wait for everyone." She called after him. I stood up from the couch and looked at Ryohei at little nervously.

"I guess that means breakfast is ready." I seemed to mutter before walking out of the living room.

By the time Ryohei and I got to the kitchen, everyone was already eating. Tsuna's mom hadn't returned yet but whoever cooked breakfast must have done well because Lambo was already starting his second serving of food as I sat down at the table. I looked around the table and noticed a person missing.

"Where's Reborn?" I asked. Bianchi didn't seem to be surprised as she took another bite of her food.

"It's time." I heard behind me. Everyone looked behind me as Reborn walked in with a letter in hand. He handed it to Tsuna who sat at the head of the table. From where I was sitting I could easily see the symbol on the back. It was the crest of the Invano family. It was the same as Culpo's family crest but altered a little. That much I could tell. The time was surely close.


	9. Chapter 9: Hand off the pole

Sun and Moon, Ryohei's Destiny 9 {Hand off the Pole}

Everyone around the table stopped eating. All eyes were on Tsuna, the letter still unopened. Whatever was in that envelope was going to be their biggest challenge yet. I wasn't even sure if I was ready for it let alone everyone else. Tsuna just stared at the envelope as if lost in thought. What was there to think about? All he had to do was open it, read it and we would discuss our strategy. It was that simple. Then again, if it really was that simple the tension in the room wouldn't have been so overwhelming.

"Don't worry, Tenth. No matter what we're right behind you!" Gokudera cheered on. Ryohei and Yamamoto gave a single nod of approval. Tsuna smiled in relief and opened the letter.

"Eh?" Tsuna seemed confused at first. "What's a Kaduna battle?" My heart sank. I never thought Culpo would actually sink to that level.

"A battle of the Mafia." Reborn stated. The hitman looked to me as if making sure we were on the right page. There was no doubt about it. In this single battle, Tsuna would be risking it all. I turned to Miharu, her expression hard to read. Even she knew the greatness of the battle. I sighed and stared down at my food.

"It's a battle between the Mafia families. It's a series of different battles, head to head, and both families risking it all." I had studied the Kaduna battle at home. My father told me stories of previous Kaduna battles; he having been in one himself. Almost every Mafia family had gone through one. I never thought I would come to see one, let alone be a part of one myself. "Kaduna battles date back all the way to Vongola Primo and his family. The first battle took place in Nigeria against the Gwandara Mafia; first mafia family ever to be created outside of Italy. The Gwandara family made a bet with the Primo. Whatever the outcome of the battle, the losing Mafia family would have to denounce their family; officially disband themselves from each other." I looked to Tsuna, hopeful he would win this battle.

"Once a Kaduna is summoned, it cannot be ignored nor denied. It must be a battle fought. Tsuna, if this Vongola family loses, you will no longer be a Mafia family and you will no longer see any of your friends again. That's Kaduna rules." I looked at Reborn to see if he wanted to add anything but he just gave me a nod as if I had done enough.

"Eh?" Tsuna responded. It wasn't really the reaction I was looking for. "I never wanted this!" I slammed my fist on the table.

"It doesn't matter Tsuna!" I seemed to be shouting but I didn't care. This was serious. A Kaduna battle wasn't something he wanted to do but he had no choice. There was no loophole and there was no way around it. "You can't back out from it, if you do you automatically lose and Culpo wins. This means that he will be the new leading Mafia family and you will no longer be able to see your friends ever again. Culpo will see to that." Reborn sighed and turned to me. Tsuna hung his head low, not knowing what to say.

"The training must start soon." I looked to Miharu who seemed to agree with me. I took the letter from Tsuna and skimmed through it. Not only was each battle decided but the date as well. We had a week to train before the first battle. Problem was we didn't know who was going to be in the first battle. I didn't think it was enough but only time would tell. I looked over at Ryohei as he stared at his own food. It seemed Miharu and I would have to get started right away. I stood up from my seat and looked at everyone else.

"Ryohei, if you're not going to eat you're coming with me. We have a lot of ground to cover." I looked at Miharu to confirm who she would be training. "You're going to train Gokudera, right?" Miharu nodded and I turned to everyone else. "The rest of you, your trainers will come soon. Ryohei, follow me." And with that Ryohei and I left for the bus station.

I had to forget everything else. Right now, I was going to train Ryohei. If I failed, I would dishonor my family as well as the Ninth's decision in giving me the Moon Guardian ring. It didn't seem like it, but it was a lot to think about. As we waited for the bus, Ryohei started to ask some questions.

"Where are we going?" He began. I simply answered that it didn't matter where we were going. We just needed to get on a bus. Our training sessions were going to be different than what he was used to. The bus was crowded with so many people, Ryohei and I were forced to stand up. Without touching one of the bars, I turned to face him. Ryohei held onto the pole next to him but I tapped his hand.

"Hand off the pole. First we're going to work on balance." The bus began to move and Ryohei immediately clung to the pole again. With a newspaper I had grabbed earlier, I rolled it up and swatted at his hand. "Don't touch the pole. Plant your feet. Don't move." Ryohei closed his eyes but with each stop and turn, he would begin to lose his balance and grab the pole again. Each time I would swat at his hand. A few times he would get better but it wasn't much improvement. I could tell the people around him were a distraction but it was good for our training. The bus stopped in front of the local Aquarium and I told Ryohei to follow me.

Since it was the middle of the day, it was full of elderly couples, kids on their school fieldtrip, and tourists. It was perfect for our next session. Ryohei followed me, a little curious as to our whereabouts.

"Why are we here?" Ryohei asked. We paid for our tickets and walked in.

"You'll see. Just trust me." I walked to the back of the Aquarium, passing the penguins, to where the whales were located. We walked down a long tube where other fish were swimming over us. At the end of the water hallway, was a giant tank full of two Beluga whales. In the upper corner near the glass sat a speaker for all to hear the whale sounds and other water life. I gestured Ryohei to stand right in front of the glass.

"Alright," I began, "close your eyes." He did. Around the room were little kids and grownups chatting away. The sounds the whales were making were very faint. At one point a few children began to laugh really loud. I looked at Ryohei who seemed to get a little aggravated by the noises. "Don't get frustrated." I told him. "Relax. Breathe. And listen to the whales."

"I can't hear them!" Ryohei almost shouted back. I sat on the bench in front of the glass to watch him.

"Ryohei," I said calmly, "don't shout. Calm down. Just listen. Ignore the other sounds." Ryohei tried again. I could tell by the look on his face, he was trying too hard. This went on for a good two hours. I would tell him to relax but he would just continue to tighten up. It seemed today wouldn't be going very far.

"Alright Ryohei," I patted him on the back. "That's enough for today." I feared if he tried any harder, his head would explode. "I'll buy you lunch. You deserve it." We headed to the cafeteria and I grabbed a few things for our lunch. However, when I was done, Ryohei disappeared.

"Oi! Sayomi!" I looked around and saw Ryohei on the other side of a room waving at me. He seemed to be holding onto something but I couldn't tell what it was. As I got closer, I realized he was holding a stuffed penguin. "For you." Ryohei said as he handed it to me. "Thanks for today's training." Penguins were my favorite animal but how did he know? He must have read it on my face because Ryohei answered my question. "I saw you looking at them when we got here. You didn't really seem to look at anything else the way you looked at them."

"Thanks." I smiled. We ate our lunches and looked around the Aquarium some more. Ryohei and I talked for hours. It was nice. It almost seemed like a date but it wasn't. We were taking a break from training. Nothing else.

Eventually, I told him today was a good attempt and we would try again tomorrow. The next day was Sunday which meant no school. It would be perfect for training. I could only hope he would get better.

We took another bus home, trying out his balance again and stopped at my house. His balance was still weak but it looked like there was some potential. "Your homework," I informed him, "practice balance for an hour and then practice listening." I started to walk inside but I stopped. "Hey Ryohei?" Ryohei stopped himself and turned around as he was about to leave. "Thanks again for the penguin." Ryohei smiled and gave a small wave.

As I walked into our apartment, I hugged the penguin tighter. But when I closed the front door, I felt someone walk up behind me. Out of reflex, I took a hard swing behind me. Miharu ducked and smiled that she was faster than I. This time, anyway.

"I thought you were supposed to be training Ryohei." Her coy smile seemed to ignore the fact that I had mistaken her for a burglar by almost attacking her.

"I did. I mean I was training him. We just happened to stop by the Aquarium and he bought me a stuffed penguin because he noticed I was looking at them." Miharu folded her arms across her chest. I knew she didn't buy it, even if it was partial truth. I really didn't know what to think about Ryohei. The last time I let a guy in, I ended up getting hurt. Not to mention, he was now the reason why the Vongola were forced into a Kaduna battle. "How did training with Gokudera go?"

"Ugh! Horrible!" Miharu groaned. "He's so dumb. He fights recklessly and will end up killing himself if nothing is done about it." Miharu walked into the kitchen and began to biting her way through bubblegum lollipop after bubblegum lollipop. It seemed there was something more than just his training. Miharu would never get this steamed up over a simple training. If it was anyone else, she would have simply given a sigh and said something about them being pathetic. But this was different. And even though she was my best friend, I decided not to push because of it. I didn't really think Miharu knew what was going on.

Later that night, after the two of us ate dinner, I decided to go for a walk by myself. The night was cool and it was peaceful. However, once I hit the deserted park that's where things went wrong. A chill ran up my spine so quickly I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. No one was around me.

"Nice night, huh." I heard behind me. I could feel fingers picking up my hair as they were brought up to smell. "I always did love the way you looked in the moonlight." The moon was hardly even out. I turned around and looked dead into the eyes of Culpo. The _last_ person I ever wanted to bump into.

"What do you want?" I asked. Culpo held his arms out as if to give a friendly gesture.

"It's not my fault we happened to go out for a walk at the same time." Culpo touched my cheek. I couldn't move. I was practically frozen. "We were always destined for each other, Yomi." I couldn't feel my legs. It was as if Culpo still had this magic spell over me. Suddenly, I was reminded of the good old days. Culpo and I would walk along the beach and just talk for hours. Other days Culpo, Miharu, and I would just hangout and watch movies. Sometimes we would just do whatever we felt like doing. It was a time when I really was weak for him and I felt as if I was weak for him again.

My voice didn't seem to want to work. Why couldn't I even say two words to him? When Culpo and I had our date, I was able to control myself. Now, in the middle of the park at night with no one around, I was under his spell. Culpo smiled at me and moved some hair out of my face. At some point his lips touched mine. I couldn't breathe and I felt weak at the knees. It was as if we were kissing for the first time.

Culpo pulled away and grabbed my hand as he guided me to a bench where I sat resting in his arms. We didn't say anything. We just looked at the stars the way we always did with our midnight walks. What was I doing? It was as if I was up in the sky watching my body move like a mindless robot. I couldn't stop any of it. I didn't think I even wanted to.

We sat there for what seemed like hours. It, sort of, felt good to be there with him. It was weird. It was as if I was getting lost in the moment because I lost track of time. It wasn't until Culpo's phone go off did I actually break out of my little "trance." Culpo got up from the bench and walked a few feet away from me so I wouldn't hear him. Luckily for me, I was able to catch a few words here and there. I heard words like "babe", "her," "plan" and "a few minutes." Something was wrong with hearing those words together. I thought maybe I was just overreacting but when he returned back at my side on the bench I couldn't shake off the feeling that this was all completely wrong.

"You alright?" Culpo asked as he tried to put his arm around my shoulder but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as my hand could take. Out of reflex, Culpo yanked his hand back. I stood up not looking at him anymore. If I looked at him again, I knew that would be it. I was tempted to punch him. Among other things.

"I'm not doing this anymore." I muttered. "Go home and leave me alone. For good." Without allowing him to say anything else, I turned on my heels and just walked. I didn't care where I was going. Being with Culpo was wrong. Somehow, I felt as I was letting a certain someone down and somehow I felt as if that person was Ryohei. I couldn't explain it. Him and I weren't even dating. We weren't even that close. Sure, we were friends but I felt as I was really betraying him somehow. I couldn't do that to him. I didn't want to break his heart. Or mine.

I did the right thing, walking away from him for good. No longer was he going to make a fool out of me. The puppeteer had lost his puppet forever. For some reason, I could feel my body boiling with anger. I should have hit him. I should have beaten him until every bone in his body was broken.

A hand tapped my shoulder. As a reaction, I tried to roundhouse kick whoever was behind me thinking it was Culpo. But I was wrong. Miharu blocked my kick with her just in time. Thank goodness we had trained so long together that we knew each other's moves.

"Geez!" Miharu gasped. "What's your problem? Your best friend comes out looking for you and this is how you treat her." I wrapped my arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. She squirmed under my grip. I didn't care if she was made at me for almost kicking out her lights. I was just glad it was her and not Culpo.

After she escaped my grasp, I apologized and told her what happened after I walked out. It was hard for her to listen once I mentioned Culpo but she eventually settled down as we reached the apartment.


End file.
